Hydrogenation is the process of heating liquid vegetable oil and combining it with hydrogen gas. Hydrogenated fats or oils are also called trans fats, a term which refers to the changed bonding arrangement of carbon atoms. These man-made fats have no health benefits, and are known to raise cholesterol and contribute to coronary artery disease.
History
In the early twentieth century, Proctor and Gamble bought the rights to the process of hydrogenation from scientist Wilhelm Normann and began manufacturing Crisco, which was made of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Later, imported soybeans provided abundant oils. A shortage of butter in the 1940s led to the popularization of margarine made from hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils spread easily, and were advertised as being healthier than animal fats. Many manufacturers started including trans fats in processed foods to increase shelf life.
Significance
Hydrogenated oils prolong the shelf life of processed foods; packaged snack foods containing these oils can last for years. These foods also are more appealing to consumers; despite having a high fat content, foods containing hydrogenated oils do not have a greasy or oily taste or feel. In addition, hydrogenated oils are inexpensive.
Effects
Hydrogenated fats pose a greater health risk to consumers than saturated fats from animal sources. Like the fats found in dairy products, eggs and red meat, trans fats raise the level of LDL, or bad cholesterol, which deposits fat in the blood vessels; they also lower the level HDL, or good cholesterol, which removes fats from the arteries and helps protect against heart disease. An article on trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease published in the October 2006 "Nutrition in Clinical Practice" reports that partially-hydrogenated oils may be responsible for between 30,000 and 100,000 premature deaths each year in the United States.
Misconceptions
The FDA required food labels to list trans fat content in 2006, but many consumers are confused by products that state "zero trans fats" when they contain partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils. The FDA allows foods with less than 0.5 percent of trans fat per serving to be labeled "zero trans fats." If the serving size is small, a person eating several servings of this food could actually be consuming a large amount of trans fats.
Prevention/Solution
Consumer awareness is the best protection against dietary trans fats. Shoppers should realize that margarine sticks and processed snack foods like chips, crackers, cookies, icings and microwave popcorn are often made with hydrogenated oils. In restaurants, deep-fried foods like french fries or doughnuts may contain trans fats. Healthier choices for dietary fats include non-hydrogenated liquid vegetable oils like olive and canola oils and fatty foods like avocados, fish, nuts, olives and seeds.
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