The trans fats

1. Trans fats definition and method of formation

2. Is it even the configuration of cis and trans that makes the difference?

3. Trans fats in your daily diet

4. The health effects of trans fats

1. Trans fats definition and method of formation

The way in which the atoms are placed within this bond determines the type of acids, dividing them into: acids with a cis configuration, acids with trans configurations. During this process, the molecules of unsaturated fatty acids are enriched with hydrogen atoms, which join at the site of the double bond and cause the formation of single saturated bonds. Trans fats are produced as a result of an industrial process of hydrolysis, to which they are subjected by vegetable oils and contained in unsaturated fats.

2. Is it even the configuration of cis and trans that makes the difference?

All of these technological features make trans fats useful in the food industry. If you add to this the possibility of re-use (tested in deep-oil frying processes), trans fat becomes an ideal substitute for natural unsaturated fatty acids, increasing producer profits and accelerating production processes. However, in reality it significantly affects the quality of fat, changing its properties: healthy, any pro-health characteristics of unsaturating fatty acid can be determined by the configuration period, technological, non-saturated fats are used in the process of trans fat processing, as opposed to the delicate and the lightweight type, and they have a significantly longer shelf-life, which means that they are more resistant to changes in temperature, and that they can be used for a longer period of time.

3. Trans fats in your daily diet

It is also worth noting that trans isomers are also found in natural products, but to a lesser extent in milk and processed products and in the meat of ruminants (less in poultry and pork, more in beef and lamb). There is therefore no need to eliminate these ingredients from the diet, but the diversity and proportions of animal and vegetable products must be borne in mind. Such use of trans fats means that their maximum daily intake can also be exceeded (it is assumed that the maximum intake of trans fat in fast food products does not exceed 1% of the energy intake).

4. The health effects of trans fats

Excessive consumption of trans fats is also thought to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancers, depression and possibly lower fertility. In 2019, an EU regulation was published, which will apply to food producers in Poland from April 2021. For health reasons, it is therefore worthwhile to eliminate high-processed products from the diet. Eating these fats can lead to: heart disease, cancer, depression, and likely to lower the level of so-called bad LDL cholesterol, but at the same time reduce the concentration of its good fractions, whether it leads to obesity, heart disease and other serious metabolic disorders; Trans fats, especially over 2% of the fat content in certain countries, can cause serious problems with trans fat in the body.