[Medical Conspiracies] What Does Hydrogenated Mean to Our Food?

[Guest guest]

For the most part I think this article has good information- though

I have issues with the new trans fat label. I have looked at a bag

of chips which lists hydrogenated ingredients- yet on top of the bag

is a big bright declaration of zero trans fats. With further

investigation I found an article that claims they simple redefined

it out of existence- not that it isn't really there.. Just a heads

up...

--------------

 

What Exactly Does it Mean When Foods are " Hydrogenated, " and What

Posted by: " Raven " NWRaven mm121elaine

Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:48 pm (PST)

What Exactly Does it Mean When Foods are " Hydrogenated, " and What

Risks Can it Pose? February 16, 2006

http://www.altmedcl inic.ca/news/ detail.cfm? news=238

 

by www.SixWise. com

Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction -- widely used in the

processing of cooking oils and fats -- that turns unsaturated fatty

acids into saturated ones. Technically speaking, during this process

unsaturated bonds between carbon atoms are reduced by attaching a

hydrogen atom to each carbon. Simply speaking, hydrogenation is a

process in which hydrogen atoms are added to vegetable oils.

 

Aside from margarine and vegetable shortening, partially

hydrogenated oils are commonly found in crackers, cookies, baked

goods, salad dressings, bread and more.

When the process is not carried out completely (which is common in

industry) the ending product is described as being " partially

hydrogenated. "

According to Udo Erasmus, author of " Fats That Heal, Fats That

Kill " " So many different compounds can be made during partial

hydrogenation that they stagger the imagination. Scientists have

barely scratched the surface of studying changes induced in fats and

oils by partial hydrogenation. "

Why are Foods Hydrogenated?

The French chemist Paul Sabatier discovered the hydrogenation

process back in 1897. However, it wasn't until W. Normann, an

Englishman, received a patent in 1903 for the hydrogenation of

liquid oils using hydrogen gas that the process became part of

industry worldwide.

When a food is hydrogenated, its molecular shape changes, making it

more solid and rigid. An oil, for instance, that is hydrogenated

will become solid, even at room temperature (such as hard margarine

or shortening).

There are two major reasons why foods are hydrogenated, and they

both boil down to dollars and cents:

It increases the shelf life of foods.

It increases flavor stability in foods.

Food manufacturers, therefore, love to use hydrogenated oils and

fats because their foods stay fresh and good-tasting much longer

than any natural food ever could.

The Big Problem

" Hydrogenation, which is used to turn oils into margarine,

shortening, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, produces trans-

fatty acids, which are twisted molecules. Twisted, their shape

changes, and they lose their health benefits and acquire toxicity

instead, " says Erasmus.

The creation of trans fats is the major, and until recently

overlooked, health risk of eating hydrogenated foods. In fact, major

may be an understatement.

So toxic are these fats that the National Academy of Sciences'

Institute of Medicine said that trans fats shouldn't be consumed at

all. The Food and Drug Administration says that intake should be as

low as possible.

Yet, unknowingly, some Americans eat 30 to 40 grams of trans fat

daily.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, trans fats:

Double the risk of heart attack

Are responsible for the deaths of 30,000 Americans every year

Increase the risk of diabetes

Other research has shown that trans fats:

Raise your body's level of bad cholesterol (LDL) while lowering the

good cholesterol (HDL)

 

As of January 1, 2006, you can now find out if trans fats are in

your food by reading the nutrition label. This is the first time in

history trans fats have been required on the labels.

Increase triglycerides and inflammation

Interfere with vision in children

Hinder liver detoxification

Correlate with increased prostate and breast cancers

Impede insulin function

Interfere with reproduction in animals

Trans fats are found in a wide range of processed foods from the

obvious (fried foods, margarine, baked goods, vegetable shortening)

to the unexpected (bread, cookies, snack crackers, salad dressings,

granola bars, cereals, frozen dinners and much, much more).

In fact, trans fats can be found in 40 percent of all processed

foods in supermarkets today.

The Good News

As of January 1, 2006, new FDA regulations require food

manufacturers to list trans fats on food nutrition labels (directly

under the line for saturated fat). So, as a consumer, you can now

avoid trans fats much more easily, just by reading nutrition labels.

If you also read ingredient lists, terms to watch out for include

anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, along

with vegetable shortening or margarine, which may also be

hydrogenated.

[Guest guest]

Pinkportulaca, to determine if transfats are hidden in the product,

even those listed as having no transfats, look at the total fat

content per serving...........add the saturated fats, mono and poly

fats.........if those three together do not add up to the total amount

of fact listed per serving......transfats are hidden in the product.

 

BE SURE TO check every product you buy. I have found them in frozen

vegetable. Most store bought frozen and bakery rolls have tranfats in

them. I buy nothing any more without reading the labels for transfats

and HIGH FRUITOSE corn syrup. The more organic you eat, the better off

you are going to be. I'd rather bake products my self than run the

risk anymore.

 

I also take milk thistle in an effort to clear my liver and other

organs of the toxins allowed to be put in our foods.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

-- In , " pinkportulaca "

<pinkportulaca wrote:

>

> For the most part I think this article has good information- though

> I have issues with the new trans fat label. I have looked at a bag

> of chips which lists hydrogenated ingredients- yet on top of the bag

> is a big bright declaration of zero trans fats. With further

> investigation I found an article that claims they simple redefined

> it out of existence- not that it isn't really there.. Just a heads > up...