Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei
The US Food and Drug Administration's directive to remove artificial trans fats from processed foods can act as an eye-opener for millions of Indians, considering the adverse affects that it has on the human health.
Experts claimed that in Indian snacks, both packaged products and the ones being sold at the roadside, contain exuberant amounts of unhealthy fats, which is accountable for a range of chronic illnesses.
The US food regulatory body said the ban would reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year.
Trans fats has been termed as 'toxic' by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
What exactly are trans fats?
Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fats that are commonly formed through an industrial process called hydrogenation, a procedure by which vegetable oils are converted to solid fats by adding hydrogen atoms.
Trans fats can also be found naturally in some foods at low levels, such as those from animals, including meat and dairy products.
How bad are they?
Trans fats are considered to be the worst type of dietary fats one can eat. Trans fats can be found in a variety of food processed foods such as snacks, packaged baked goods, margarine, and fried food.
Trans fats, also known as trans-unsaturated fatty acids or trans fatty acids, are used in processed foods to help give products a longer shelf life.
However, trans fats are dangerous for your health in may ways - it raises your LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol, thereby increasing your risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Studies also indicated that trans fats may increase the risk of diabetes. Other health risks from trans fats include cancer, obesity, liver dysfunction, etc.
Reduce trans fats intake
While some food manufacturers have now reduced or removed trans fats, many products have still trans fats in it. However, you can still reduce your intake of trans fats by -
- reading/checking out saturated fats and trans fats on the food labels
- avoiding products that list partially hydrogenated fat/oil on label
- including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet while reducing processed/packaged and fried food.
