Trans Fat and Why It Should Be Avoided

What is Trans Fat?

Small amounts of trans fats are found naturally in certain foods, such as beef and lamb. However, most trans fats are processed. They are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils in order to solidify them. They are also, often, referred to as partially hydrogenated fats. These are, generally, considered to be the worst form of fats for our health.

What is trans fat found in?

Trans fat is found in a variety of food that we consume. Some common sources of trans fat include; margarine, crisps (or chips for Americans) and bakery products. Food labels often show ‘partially hydrogenated’ and this is a synthesised trans fat.

Why We Should Avoid Trans Fats

It appears that there are a number of reasons as to why we should look to avoid trans fats:

• They can raise the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while lowering the good cholesterol levels.
• It is also suggested that consuming trans fats increases the risk of us developing heart disease and stroke.
• There also appears to be a link between the consumption of trans fat and the development of type 2 diabetes
• There is some evidence that shows that trans fats contribute more to cardio-vascular disease than other fats.

So, it is important to be aware of what we are eating and aim to keep our consumption of trans fats to a minimum due to the potential health risks associated with them.

Should We Take Dietary Supplements?

Should we supplement?

This blog entry will look into whether we should use supplements or not. It will look into exactly what supplements are and identify whether or not they are actually beneficial to us or not.

What are supplements?

A dietary supplement is just what it sounds like it is – something that we take to provide things that are missing from our diet. Typically, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids are commonly taken as supplements. Generally, dietary supplements come in pill or tablet form but there are other varieties too.

What do supplements do?

Supplements are designed to help us ‘fill the gaps’ that are in our diet. So, for example, many people take omega-3 capsules as they do not get enough omega-3 in their diet. In essence, the aim is to get things into the body that it needs to function properly. They are used in everyday life but are also common in sports and rehabilitation as well.

Should we supplement?

In an ideal world we would consume everything we need from the food and drink we take. A balanced diet should provide all the micro and macro nutrients that we need to live a healthy life with the body functioning correctly. However, there are a number of reasons why we may not be getting the right amounts of something into our body and so supplements can certainly be useful. The ultimate answer to this is that, no we should not supplement our diet if possible. However, if we must use supplements then if is better than losing out completely. We must be wary of what we purchase, though, and do our research before buying to ensure we get quality.