Trans fatty acids in butter. What are trans fats and should we be afraid of them? What are the dangers of trans fats: completely natural

If you are responsible for your health and a rational approach to nutrition is close to you, then our article will be useful for you. After reading it, you can find out what trans fats are, what foods contain them, and why you should reduce their consumption.

Fats are necessary for the body - this is a fact. The work of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems depends on them, but not all fats that come with food are equally useful and necessary.

Everyone knows that they are divided into animal and vegetable, and there are also liquid and solid. Let's go a little deeper into the structure of matter and understand where such a difference comes from.

Any fat is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. An acid consists of a carbon chain surrounded by hydrogen atoms. So, if the molecule is completely covered with hydrogen atoms, such an acid is called saturated, respectively, if there are not enough of them, unsaturated.

Solid fat is a mixture of acids, most of which are saturated. These fats include animal fats. They are represented by products such as butter and lard.

In liquid fat, unsaturated acids occupy a larger volume. Examples of such a product are all vegetable oils and some animal fats, such as fish.

As you can see, the molecular composition determines the physical properties. Liquid oils with a predominance of unsaturated acids are fluid and have a low melting point. Solid - dense and melt at higher temperatures.

Another type of fat can be found in the composition of products - hydrogenated. It is used as a substitute for expensive milk fat. This is a substance of artificial origin, which is obtained mainly from cheap vegetable oils. Under the influence of high temperatures and chemical catalysts, unsaturated acids get the missing hydrogen, and liquid fat turns into solid fat, with all its inherent physical properties.

AT Food Industry the production of hydrogenated fats or, as they are also called lard, is of great importance. Agriculture is not able to fully satisfy the need of processing enterprises for animal fats. Therefore, instead of them, artificial analogues are often used.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are by-products formed as a result of the hydrogenation reaction during the production of lard. When liquid fat is saturated with hydrogen, not all of its molecules are overgrown with the missing atoms. Some of them change the spatial structure, turning into dangerous compounds.

That is, they can not accept hydrogen, but change their shape, turn one of their parts in the other direction. And then we can already talk about the appearance of a trans-isomer - a substance of a similar composition, but a different structure.

You can often find another name - "transgenic fats", but it is not true. Since here we are not talking about the genome, but only about the structure of the molecule.

Trans fats are spatial isomers of fatty acids, the normal molecules that make up natural fats. Only now they have completely different properties, and you can’t call them useful.

Trans fats are found in small amounts in natural oils. They are formed as a result of the activity of bacteria that inhabit the stomach of ruminants. Partially pass into meat and milk. From there they enter the product.

In solid milk fat, their content ranges from 2 to 8%. While in industrially hydrogenated oils, their share can grow up to 67%. It is worth noting that trans fats obtained artificially and naturally have completely different properties.

History of appearance in nutrition

In the 1890s, the future Nobel laureate P. Sabatier decided to put the hydrogenation reaction into practice. What came of it, we all already know. In our country, an attempt to solidify liquid fats was first made by the scientist S. Fokin in 1906.

But the German researcher V. Normann went further. He created industrial equipment, allowing to obtain solid fats from liquid oils, and in 1909 he patented his own production technology. In 1911, he sold his patent to a company that put the experience of Procter and Gamble into practice. She created a first-of-its-kind product, a dough improver based on hydrogenated cottonseed oil.

The hardening of fats has found wide application in the food industry. Hydrogenated oils began to be added to products and semi-finished products to maintain the structure and preserve them. appearance. Artificial fat, compared to natural fat, has a higher melting point and does not melt outside the refrigerator. It tastes like butter, so it can significantly “ennoble” the product.

Hydrogenation began to be used for more mundane purposes. Thanks to it, the shelf life has increased perishable products. Since solid fat contains a smaller number of unsaturated molecules, it is difficult to oxidize, and therefore does not deteriorate for a long time. Hydrogenation began to be used to preserve valuable products such as whale oil.

Why are trans fats dangerous for the human body?

Trans fats have the ability to replace lipids that are part of the cell membrane, disrupting its structure. The affected cell loses its ability to fully nourish and remove harmful substances. Subsequently, it ceases to fulfill its function. When there are a lot of such cells, it begins to affect the work of an organ or even an entire system.

The use of trans fats leads to metabolic disorders and the accumulation of toxins.

All this can be the cause of any disease.

To the question “How to remove trans fats from the body?”, You can immediately answer - no way. They do not come out on their own. Their utilization is possible only together with the affected cells. All the tissues of our body are constantly updated. Some cells die, others appear. It is only through this process that the body is cleansed over time, provided that dangerous isomers do not enter it again.

What diseases can be caused by trans fats?

In the 1990s, publications began to appear on the topic of the impact of trans fats. It was found that the use of products containing such components, first of all, negatively affects the work of the heart and blood vessels.

Trans fats upset the balance between "bad" and "good" cholesterol. This equilibrium is shifted towards heavy molecules. They are able to form conglomerates, which subsequently stick to the walls of blood vessels and narrow their lumen.

With the accumulation of "bad" cholesterol in the body, the risk of:

• heart attack;
• stroke
• ischemic heart disease;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes
• obesity.

It has been established that in the United States more than 20,000 deaths are recorded per year, provoked by diseases that arose on the basis of eating trans fats.

Some studies show that the presence of these components in the body of a future mother can provoke mutations in the fetal genome.

As you know, sex hormones are formed from low molecular weight cholesterol. A shift in balance towards large molecules leads to disruption of the reproductive system, which can eventually result in infertility.

The accumulation of carcinogens in the body increases the risk of developing cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and depression.

Correlation with obesity

There is an indirect relationship between overuse trans fats and obesity. Against the background of cholesterol imbalance, changes occur in the endocrine system. Due to the lack of hormones, the process of lipid utilization is inhibited. Fats begin to be deposited in tissues, which can subsequently lead to obesity.

According to WHO, the number of overweight people has doubled over the past 20 years, and trans fats play an important role in this statistics.

Trans fats and modern children

Today's children spend more and more time outside the home. This directly affects their eating behavior. With a lifestyle like this, snacking on the go between classes is becoming the norm. To make up for the lack of energy, the child subconsciously seeks to eat something high-calorie. Advertising also plays a role. Instead of healthy food, he chooses snacks, sweet bars or fast food.

Most of what is sold in restaurants fast food, contains hydrogenated oils, and with them trans fats. Fast food not only satisfies the need for food, but also causes irreparable harm to health.

Most of the snacks so loved by children: popcorn, chips, quick breakfasts abound in trans fats. The first step in fighting bad eating habits is to eradicate the habit of eating on the go.

List of trans fat foods:

We remind you that trans fats can be found in small amounts in natural products, but in natural oils they have a completely different composition. There are a huge number of trans-isomers, but only a few of them have been studied.

The largest amount of harmful oils is found in hard margarines and cooking oil. There their share reaches from 18 to 67%. Below is a list of foods that contain trans fats. Once you get to know it, you'll have a better idea of ​​what it's about.

Trans fats in butter

in kind butter, made exclusively from milk cream, the content of natural trans isomers is in the range of 1.6-6.8%. These are non-artificial trans fats, their action does not have a detrimental effect on the body.

It is worth paying attention to the labels on the packaging. The product should be called “butter”, consist of milk cream and have a fat content of 78 to 82%.

Trans fats in vegetable oils

Refined vegetable oil contains less than 1% natural trans fats, which are also safe to eat. These oils are useful for fresh adding to salads.

Trans fats in margarine

This category includes the most dangerous products which are high in trans fats. Most of the confectionery products (cookies, waffles, cakes, rolls, sweets, etc.) are prepared on the basis of margarines.

On the labels of such products, it may be referred to as:

• cooking oil;
• milk fat substitute;
• hydrogenated fat;
• Palm oil;
• mixture of vegetable oils;
• spread.

For home use instead of margarine, it is better to purchase refined vegetable oil for frying, ghee or butter for baking.

Trans fats in mayonnaise

Natural vegetable oil in mayonnaise and any other industrial sauces can be partially or completely replaced by hydrogenated, which will provide the product with a long shelf life.

Trans fats in chocolate

In sweet bars, expensive cocoa butter is replaced with low-quality hydrogenated fat to reduce the cost of the product. It also raises the melting point of the tile, preventing it from melting in the heat.

The expression "melts in your mouth, not in your hands" just has nothing to do with good chocolate. The real one should melt in your hands.

"Fast food"

Any semi-finished products are prepared using hardened fats containing trans isomers. Even it would seem plain buns for burgers, actually not so harmless. As evidence, we can cite the fact that they can be stored for six months. And all thanks to the "nuclear" composition.

Meat preparations and sauces are also protected from deterioration and loss of appearance due to the inclusion of hydrogenated fats in them.

Deep-fried products

Trans fats are formed as a result of frying food in low-quality, unrefined vegetable oil. The harm increases many times if the frying fat is not changed on time.

Fast food restaurants offer dishes from this category such as:

• French fries;
• donuts;
• nuggets;
• fish sticks;
• deep-fried squid rings.

Other products

What foods contain trans fats other than those listed above? Roasted peanuts and popcorn. Solid vegetable fats are present in sausages, semi-finished products, ready-made frozen meals.

Why do trans fats continue to be used?

It is more correct to say that they do not use trans fats, but hydrogenated fats, since trans isomers are only a by-product in their production. Industrial enterprises are not set to get trans fats. They make solid fats from liquid ones, but due to the low quality of the feedstock, a large number of harmful impurities.

The modern food industry is unlikely to be able to refuse hydrogenated fats. There is a great need for them. These fats cannot be replaced with the same amount of natural solid oils.

There are economic benefits in using margarines. Products with them are stored longer, keep their shape better, and are cheaper. Therefore, it remains to be hoped that industrialists will begin to take a more careful approach to the choice of raw materials for the manufacture of artificial fats.

Since the 2000s, Europe has been actively fighting the content of trans fats in products at the state level. They are completely banned in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland. Europe is gradually moving away from the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in products, which contain the most dangerous isomers.

In our country, there is a GOST, according to which the share of harmful components in solid fats should be limited to 8%. But with the formation of the Customs Union, this document has lost its binding character, since neighboring countries are not ready to fulfill this condition due to the low technical equipment of their food enterprises.

How to cut down on trans fats?

To do this, it is necessary to minimize the consumption of prepared and processed food. Buy fresh, raw, natural foods and cook them yourself.

When vegetable oil is heated, trans fats can also form. Therefore, this way cooking products like frying, it is better to replace stewing, boiling and baking.

Changing habits and lifestyle

You can improve the quality of life by giving up the bad habit of snacking on the go.

If there is a need to eat something, but there is no time to cook or eat thoroughly, then it is better to arrange a snack, but using healthy products:

• fruits;
• dried fruits;
• nuts;
• yogurt;
• cottage cheese.

At home, also try to cook natural food without industrial sauces. The same mayonnaise can be replaced with sour cream, which is more beneficial and less harmful.

We hope that the information provided will be useful to you. Now, when buying products, you will make an informed choice.

Trans fats (or trans fats) are modified molecules that appear in unsaturated (vegetable) oils and fats during high temperature processing. In minimal amounts, trans fats can also be found in nature, however, when frying and as a result of industrial processing of oils, their share can rise to 20-50%.

Scientific studies point to the direct dangers of trans fats for health and cholesterol levels. It has been proven that regular consumption of even small doses of trans fats in food disrupts the normal functioning of metabolism, provokes obesity, and also leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases (1) . involves a drastic reduction of trans fats in the diet.

In fact, trans fats are found in any vegetable oils heated to high temperatures. That is why not every oil is suitable for frying. In addition, trans fats can be formed in fatty foods and when it is reheated - for example, in microwave oven. In simple terms, a certain proportion of trans fats is found in almost any food, first cooked, then heated again.

Of particular danger is margarine and any food containing it. It must be understood that to make margarine, fats must be subjected to intense heat - even if only a small proportion of trans fats has formed in the margarine itself, frying or heating food containing margarine dramatically increases the transformation process.

The content of trans fats in margarine

Before scientists officially recognized trans fats as a health hazard, soft margarine contained up to 10-20% trans fats, and hard margarine for baking - up to 40%. Currently, Canada, the US, the European Union and a number of other countries have set the upper bar for trans fats - no more than 2% of the total amount of fat in the product.

In the early 2010s, regulators in these countries insisted that the amount of trans fats in products be measured and must be indicated on the packaging - just like the content of healthy fats. However, these rules have not affected Russia, China and most countries in Asia and Latin America, where it is still completely not required to measure and indicate the content of trans fats in products.

Trans fats in fast food

Because trans fats are found in margarine and refined vegetable oil, they can be found in any food containing these ingredients, from convenience foods, pastries and sweets (made with margarine), to french fries and other fast food fried in vegetable oil.

Since, as we mentioned above, trans fats can be formed upon repeated heating, even if the frozen lasagna from the supermarket did not initially contain trans fats, then when heated, they will definitely appear in it - and the higher the heating temperature and the longer its duration, the more dangerous trans fats you get in the product.

Harm and danger of trans fats

It must be understood that trans fats are more likely a carcinogen, and not a direct poison. They do not cause instant harm to health, but only gradually worsen the metabolism, provoking the development of various diseases and the occurrence of various forms of cancer. In fact, you can eat them for years (and even decades) without any clear symptoms.

Because fatty acids are used by the body to synthesize sex hormones, trans fats can negatively impact testosterone levels in men and estrogen levels in women (2) . Among other things, trans fats increase blood cholesterol levels and impair insulin synthesis in the body, forcing the body to store calories in subcutaneous fat.

Trans fats: a dangerous dose for health

Scientific studies show that health harm and changes in human metabolism occur when trans fats are consumed in amounts of 2% of total daily calories. In terms of grams, this is equivalent to 3-4 g of trans fats per day - a tablespoon of cheap baking margarine or extremely small portion french fries.

A large portion of french fries can contain up to 10-12 g of trans fats, fried chicken from CFS - about 5-7 g, one donut (donut) - 5 g, a small pack of chips - 3 g, a serving of breakfast cereal - 2 g (3) . Let us remind you once again that in Russia there are no standards regulating the content of transgenic fats in products and in any way limiting their use.

Why do people poison these fats?

The history of trans fats began with the search for a cheap substitute for butter. In 1901, a process was invented to turn the naturally liquid palm oil into a solid by using nitrous acid and bubbling hydrogen through the boiling oil. The final result of the search was margarine, widely used in the food industry.

In fact, it is on deeply refined vegetable oils that modern industrial food production is built - they are cheap, tasteless and have a long shelf life (they do not require a refrigerator). Removing these fats will require a complete overhaul technological process and significantly increase the price of the final product. The population of many countries is simply not ready for this.

***

Trans fats, formed in oils during high-temperature processing, are carcinogenic and can be harmful to health. Their content in products is legally restricted in many developed countries, but not in Russia, China, Asia and Latin America. The leaders in the content of trans fats are margarine and any food fried in refined vegetable oil.

Scientific sources:

1. Trans fatty acids: effects on metabolic syndrome, heart disease and diabetes, Micha R, Mozaffarian D., Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health,
2. Dorgan, J.F., J.T. Judd, C. Longcope, C. Brown, A. Schatzkin, B.A. Clevidence, W.S. Campbell, P.P. Nair, C. Franz, L. Kahle, AND P.R. Taylor. Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens and estrogens in men: A controlled feeding study. Am J Clin Nutr, 64: 850-855, 1996
3. Top 10 Foods With Trans Fats,

Trans fats - what are they? Unfortunately, few people think about this issue, and very in vain. Every day we eat ice cream processed cheese, confectionery, but we don’t even suspect how harmful these products can be to our body. All of them contain dangerous substances - trans fats. What it is? Let's talk about it in the article.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are a solid fat mass obtained from vegetable oils in the process of hydrogenation: liquid vegetable oils are saturated with hydrogen bubbles at high temperatures, resulting in the formation of trans fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids with a distorted molecular structure. Due to the artificial processing of vegetable oil, approximately 30% of its molecules are converted into trans-isomers. Why are spenders dangerous? Once in the body, such molecules displace useful fatty acids from cell membranes, block enzymes, thereby disrupting their full release and release from waste products. This results in a violation metabolic processes in cells, which sooner or later will lead to various pathologies.

Trans fats are part of natural products- meat, milk, butter. Trans fats are found in small amounts in butter (natural) or meat. They also form during deep frying, especially if one serving of margarine or butter is used several times.

mayonnaise, margarine, spread, ketchup, refined vegetable oils, all kinds of sauces;

crackers, chips, nuts, snacks, popcorn, breakfast cereals;

cakes, buns, gingerbread, crackers, shortbread and other confectionery;

ice cream, some types of chocolate;

processed cheese, semi-finished products - chilled dough, meatballs, pizza, fish sticks;

• fast food products - hamburgers, french fries, pasties, breaded meat, donuts.

Scientists have proven that a healthy dose of trans fats is 4 g per day. Just think, one serving of cereal contains approximately 2 g of trans fats, a pack of chips - 5 g, a serving of french fries or fried chicken- about 7 g. The spread contains 1.5-6% trans fats, in margarine for baking - 20-40%, in soft margarine — 0,1-17%.

Trans fats are harmful to the body

The civilized world has long been concerned about the use of synthetic fats in the food industry. Numerous studies carried out in different countries world, confirm the negative effects of the use of substances such as trans fats.

Harm vegetable fats can cause colossal:

in nursing mothers, the quality of milk deteriorates, while with it spenders are transferred to the child;

children are born with pathologically low weight;

increases the risk of developing diabetes;

the work of prostaglandins is disrupted, which negatively affects the condition of the connective tissue and joints;

the function of cytochrome oxidase, an enzyme that is directly involved in the neutralization of carcinogens and chemicals, is disrupted;

immunity is weakened;

the level of testosterone (male sex hormone) decreases and the quality of sperm deteriorates.

Violation of cellular metabolism can provoke diseases such as arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, visual impairment, obesity, cancer.

Eating foods containing trans fats reduces the body's ability to withstand stressful situations, and increases the risk of developing depression. Also, artificial fats provoke the development of senile dementia and premature aging of the body.

Harm of trans fats for a child's body

Why are trans fats dangerous for children? The child's body is more susceptible to the penetration of infections, since its immune system is not yet fully formed. The use of trans fats has a depressing effect on an already weak immune system. In addition, such harmful substances can cause low intelligence in a child and adolescent.

Why do trans fats continue to be used?

Everything is quite simple. The main task of manufacturers is to reduce the cost of food products, improve their consumer properties and increase shelf life. Synthetic fats, unlike natural oils, do not deteriorate, can be stored at room temperature unlimited period of time. Margarine retains its properties for years, being out of the refrigerator, while even insects will not touch it.

Natural oils are very difficult to store, and their price is higher. Under the influence of light, air, high temperature, natural fat is rapidly oxidized. Trans fats, created artificially, do not burn through, which makes it possible to use them repeatedly when frying foods.

How to avoid eating trans fats?

So, trans fats - what they are and why they are dangerous, we found out. But how can you protect yourself from these harmful substances? First of all, you should carefully read the labels on the packages. Avoid products containing hydrogenated cocoa butter substitutes, margarine, peanut, soy, cottonseed, canola, safflower and palm oil. Eliminate mayonnaise, spread, margarine, ready-made sauces from the diet. It is recommended to give preference to homemade butter, ideally ghee. Store-bought 70-80% fat is a low-grade vegetable oil broken down by hydrogen. Real butter cannot contain less than 82.5% fat.

Eliminate fried, deep-fried foods from your diet. Boil, stew, bake in the oven, cook on the grill or double boiler. Refuse or reduce to a minimum the use of store-bought buns, cookies, cakes. homemade baking, prepared on the basis of natural oil, is much healthier and tastier than industrial sweets.

Can trans fats be eliminated from the body?

Unfortunately, to the question of how to remove trans fats from the body, the answer is obvious - no way. Cells with an already built-in trans fat molecule will surely die. But the body has the ability to recover and renew itself very quickly. In place of the dead cell, a new one is necessarily formed. You can speed up this process by following certain recommendations. It is necessary to exclude from the diet all foods that contain trans fats. If it is impossible to completely give up junk food, you should reduce the amount of trans fats consumed to 1 g per day.

Where are trans fats found and what harm can they cause, we have analyzed, and what foods will benefit our body? Recommended to consume as much as possible fresh vegetables and fruits. Vitamins will positively affect the state of the body. The degree of slagging, general health, age, and many other factors affect how soon it gets rid of damaged cells. The recovery process, of course, is lengthy, but positive results will certainly be achieved.

For dressing salads, use unrefined vegetable oil - olive, linseed, sunflower. You can also fill dishes with corn, mustard, pumpkin seed oil, oil walnut. Only a cold-pressed product can benefit the body. Include nuts, seeds, fatty fish, red and black caviar in your diet. All of these foods are sources of fatty acids that cells need to effectively combat the effects of eating trans fats.

Include in your menu regularly oatmeal and these products contain vitamin E, which acts as a protector of omega fatty acids important for the body.

Conclusion

In this article, we have analyzed such a thing as “trans fats”: what kind of substances they are, what their properties and functions are, how dangerous they can be to health. When choosing food, carefully examine the packaging and better refuse to buy if you find ingredients that are incomprehensible to you. Nutritional literacy will allow you to visit the doctor much less often. Be healthy!

Extend your life! Do not use transisomers!

Not so long ago, scientists proved that transisomeric fatty acids are to blame for mortality from cardiovascular diseases: atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, as well as cancer, in particular breast cancer.

According to statistics, 58% of Ukrainians die from cardiovascular diseases. Today every 30 people are cancer patients.

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Food Hygiene Laboratory of the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Ecology named after A.N. Marzeeva of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine Maria Pavlovna Gulich, reported a number of important information regarding trans-isomeric fatty acids and informed the public that WHO (World Health Organization) experts believe that trans-isomers are included in the group of dangerous compounds for the human body, which increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes , some types of cancer.

What are transisomers?

These are the so-called "freak molecules", which are formed during the processing of ordinary vegetable oils into hard margarines.

How do they arise?

The composition of vegetable oils includes polyunsaturated fatty acids, in which the largest percentage is given to linoleic acid (Omega 6) and linolenic acid (Omega 3). During the production of margarine, when these acids are hydrated - hydrogen is added to vegetable oils at high temperatures - the so-called trans-isomerization of molecules occurs.

All natural organic compounds, including fatty acids, have a certain geometric structure, in this case, when margarine hardens, cis-isomers turn into trans-isomers, which, by changing the exchange of linoleic and linolenic acids, lead to an increase in cholesterol, thereby provoking diseases of cardio-vascular system. Oncologists believe that trans-fatty acids contribute to the occurrence of cancer. That is why any factor that leads to the risk of disease must be controlled.

What do we eat?

Which foods have the most trans isomers? Of course in fast food products. For example, chips contain - 30% trans isomers, french fries - about 40%.

It has been proven that in confectionery products the content of trans isomers reaches 30 - 50% (in everything that is baked on margarine). In margarines, when hydrogenated, they are 24% - 29%. But in combined fats, after frying, as many as 33% of "freak molecules" appear, since during the process of reheating, a mutation of the molecules occurs, which contributes to the formation of trans isomers. Pure margarine, which we buy at the table, contains 24% of trans-isomers, after frying this figure increases significantly.

In non-hydrogenated oils (in ordinary vegetable oils) up to 1% of trans-isomers, in butter - 4% -8%. In animal fats, trans-fatty acids contain from 2% to 10%.

Transisomers are a worldwide problem

Studies conducted in Canada, even in mother's milk found in 25% of women over 10% of trans-isomers. In the US, this problem came to the fore only when the statistics put obesity and colon cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease in the first place, and the medical authorities sounded the alarm.

Unlike our country, in economically developed countries of the world this indicator is regulated on packages. Moreover, since January 1, 2004, a law has been introduced in the United States on the mandatory indication on the labels of data on the content of trans-fatty acids not only in margarines, but also in fat-containing products, and products confectionery industry, dairy products (oils) and dishes fried in oil.

WHO experts propose to normalize this indicator: for industry within 5% and for the population - within 2%. Since 2004, these requirements have become more stringent. And now in the EEC countries, the content of TIFA in margarines for consumers is adjusted to 1%, for industrial production no more than 2% of transisomers is permissible.

If we do not investigate and normalize this indicator, then our products will not be competitive.

It is beneficial to normalize the indicator, since there is a special transesterification technology in the world that does not allow the formation of trans-isomers in margarines. It is much easier to master new technologies than to abandon the strategic important product in industry.

Enterprises for the production of margarines have already appeared, which use new technologies that do not allow transisomerization of margarines.

When buying margarines (soft, hard), you need to pay attention to the label.

"Trans-isomers - 0" or "Without trans-isomers" - such margarines are already on sale.

Experts are hopeful that proper nutrition, namely, the maximum exclusion of products containing trans isomers, it will take at least five years for them to leave the body. Even if violations have already occurred.

With the increase in diversity in the field of cooking, the emergence of new products and dishes, it is important not to forget that food should saturate the body with useful trace elements and vitamins. And if it contains harmful toxins, such as trans fats, for example, it can cause serious harm to human health. You can protect yourself from negative influences by understanding what trans fats are and why they are harmful, as well as what foods contain these substances.

What are trans fats

Like proteins and carbohydrates, fats are an important part of the daily human diet and must be ingested in certain quantities. This is a kind of energy reserve for the human body, which is easily accumulated and used as needed. At the beginning of the last century, one of the small culinary revolutions took place - Procter & Gamble began the production of hydrogenated fats in the form of margarine, inexpensive for that period.

The product quickly gained popularity because it was not only cheap, but also convenient to use. home cooking: many dishes were prepared with it, it was stored for a long time and did not deteriorate, without even losing its structure and density. It was on this margarine that the production of the first fast food began, and the creation of mayonnaise, ketchups and other sauces was not without its fate.

And only in the 90s, scientists paid close attention to the substances from which margarine is made. It turned out that transgenic fats provoke the development of many diseases, clog blood vessels, cause hypertension, ischemia, diabetes, and can even provoke a heart attack. The reason for this is the special structure of the fatty compound, which, getting into the human body, disrupts the metabolism and nutrition of cells. The building material that the human body needs to save and accumulate energy turned out to be “defective”.

Hydrogenation of fats

To get light, accessible and perishable trans fats, it was impossible to use the usual animal fat that was used before. An innovative hydrogenation process made it possible to create a solid product from liquid vegetable fats, which were obtained from cottonseed, soybean, sunflower and other oils. A biochemical reaction consists of several stages:

1. Preparation of fats, which involves the splitting of their molecules and the removal of excess components and impurities that disrupt the hydrogenation process.
2. Thanks to the use of nickel and copper-nickel salts, the contact surface of hydrogen and fats increases, which ensures the saturation of the latter.
3. There is a hardening of fats, which is carried out due to the saturation of fatty acid molecules with hydrogen.
4. There is also a reverse dehydrogenation reaction where hydrogen molecules are detached from fatty acid molecules.

In domestic use of margarine and other products containing transgenic substances, it is not necessary to know thoroughly all the features of their production. However, it is important to carefully study the inscriptions on the labels of the products you buy in the store. The policy of the last decades obliges manufacturing companies to indicate the presence of dangerous saturated and hydrogenated compounds on the packaging. However, on the territory of Russia and many other CIS countries, this requirement does not fully work.