Hydrogenated oil is a food oil (vegetable oil) that has been converted to a solid fat by a chemical process called hydrogenation. Food manufacturers have long used hydrogenated oils to make baked and fried foods, salad dressings and bread spreads. Hydrogenated oils are a health concern because the process of hydrogenation changes the chemical structure of the oil so that it is converted from a healthy fat to an unhealthy fat that can lead to the development of heart disease.
Process
In the process of hydrogenation, a vegetable oil is heated and set aside in a container with hydrogen gas and a metal that acts as a catalyst to incorporate the hydrogen into the oil. The hydrogenated oil solidifies.
When an oil is fully hydrogenated, it is converted into a saturated fat but when it is only partially hydrogenated, it turns into a trans fat. Trans fats are considered more dangerous to your health than saturated fats or any other type of fat. But fully hydrogenated fats get very hard and cannot be used as a food ingredient. Some food companies blend fully hydrogenated oils with pure liquid oils to produce a semi-soft fat that contains some saturated fats but no trans fats.
Types
Oils that are hydrogenated for commercial use include soy, corn, sunflower, cottonseed and rapeseed (canola) oils. When these oils are in liquid form, they contain healthful polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. It is not until they are solidified that they become dangerous sources of unhealthy trans and saturated fats.
Uses
Food manufacturers use hydrogenated oils in baked goods, such as cakes, pastries, cookies and crackers and also in margarine-type spreads, dessert toppings, icings and fried foods. Hydrogenated fats hold up better than natural oils and stay solid or semisolid at room temperature, so the end products are more stable and have a longer shelf life. In that respect, hydrogenated fat acts something like a preservative.
Effects
Trans fats increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease your HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood. A combination of high HDLs and low LDLs puts you at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease or clogged arteries that lead to a heart attack or stroke, according to Mayo Clinic.
Trans fats in the diet also increase blood fats known as triglycerides and may cause inflammation that damages the lining of the arteries, leaving them more susceptible to the plaque build-up that results in clogging.
The saturated fats in fully hydrogenated oils are not considered as dangerous as trans fats, but they are still considered unhealthy fats because they have a similar effect on your cholesterol levels and can elevate your risk of developing heart disease.
Labeling
All products that contain trans fats must include the amount on the Nutrition Facts label found on every food package. The number of grams of trans fats in any food is listed, along with saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, right under the amount of total fat.
There is no percentage of daily value (% DV) listed on the label for trans fats as there are for other fats. It is not recommended that people eat any trans fats at all, so there is no daily recommended minimum amount or limit. The fewer grams of trans fat in a food, the better. When a food product contains trans fats, compare the nutrition labels on similar products to see if you can find one that contains less.
You can also look in the ingredients list of packaged foods to see if it contains any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats or shortenings.
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