hydrogenated oils & trans fats

[rob]

I've noticed lately that some products list hydrogenated oils as the second or third ingredient, and yet the nutritional label states they are trans fat free. I thought that hydrogenation resulted in the creation of trans fats?

 

How can something contain large amounts of hydrogenated oil, yet have no trans fat?

[ClimbingPanther]

fully hydrogenated means saturated. partially hydrogenated can have trans fats, thought not necessarily a significant amount.

 

 

also, 0 g trans fats doesn't mean truly trans fat free. there's a difference between those two... 0 g just means it's below the threshold for being reported as 0.5 g

Edited August 21, 2007 by ClimbingPanther

[rob]

also, 0 g trans fats doesn't mean truly trans fat free. there's a difference between those two... 0 g just means it's below the threshold for being reported as 0.5 g

 

Aha! Thanks, that answers my question exactly

 

[layton]

they are hydrogenated in a sys configuration

[catbirdseat]

they are hydrogenated in a sys configuration

Natural unsaturated fatty acids have their double bonds in the cis configuration. The metal catalysts used in the hydrogenation process convert some of the double bonds from cis to trans.

 

The purpose of hydrogenation is to make the fats more solid. Increasing the percentage of saturated fats is one way of doing this. The other way is converting cis double bonds to trans double bonds.

 

On strategy is to mix fully hydrogenated oils with unsaturated oils. There are no trans fats in such a mixture.

[Kevin_Matlock]

Side question: are pizza and ding-dongs still on the "bad" list?

[i_like_sun]

Side question: are pizza and ding-dongs still on the "bad" list?

 

 

Yeah, my question: sys versus cis; is the manmade saturated fat "more" solid than the naturaly type?

 

I've also heard that hydrogenated oils can mess with membranes and DNA, what else do they do?

[catbirdseat]

One way trans fat may mess us up is through its affect on prostaglandin synthesis. The essential fatty acids when isomerized to the trans configuration no longer act in that capacity.

[mneagle]

Side question: are pizza and ding-dongs still on the "bad" list?

 

 

Yeah, my question: sys versus cis; is the manmade saturated fat "more" solid than the naturaly type?

 

 

My wife went to a cardiology conference a few months ago where they spent 2 days discussing cholesterol and fats. One of the take home points was that saturated fats are still the worst kind of fats (worse than partially hydrogenated fats), in regards to cardiovascular risk.

 

Hydrogenation of unsaturated fats makes them worse for you than the unhydrogenated version. This is important because many products were being marketed as containing "No Saturated Fat" but were still very unhealthy because of the hydrogenation process.

 

Also, "cis" is the correct spelling.

[i_like_sun]

Another question:

 

Some of the more recent literature I've come across says that when it comes to heart disease risk, processed sugar far outweighs saturated fats. In fact, I'm pretty sure that humans require saturated fats for life (if I'm wrong, please inform). I think the difference is that massive quantities of excess sugar is either converted to cholesterol in the liver which raises blood cholesterol so high that it gets all gummed up and sticks to vessel walls, or turned into triglicerides and stored. Either way, too much sugar increases blood lipids. But what about simple saturated fats then? My intuition says that if we don't go super overboard with them most of them are used for energy or integrated into structural molecules (like membranes and hormones). So this would go back to just "eating balanced". Right?

 

So basically what the heck are we supposed to do? I'm feeling a big plate of eggs coming on right about now....

 

 

[layton]

d'oh I mean cis not sys

[G-spotter]

What about if the hydrogenation process used deuterium instead. Then you could power your body with the cold fusion of heavy trans fats.

[catbirdseat]

Another question:

 

Some of the more recent literature I've come across says that when it comes to heart disease risk, processed sugar far outweighs saturated fats. In fact, I'm pretty sure that humans require saturated fats for life (if I'm wrong, please inform). I think the difference is that massive quantities of excess sugar is either converted to cholesterol in the liver which raises blood cholesterol so high that it gets all gummed up and sticks to vessel walls, or turned into triglicerides and stored. Either way, too much sugar increases blood lipids. But what about simple saturated fats then? My intuition says that if we don't go super overboard with them most of them are used for energy or integrated into structural molecules (like membranes and hormones). So this would go back to just "eating balanced". Right?

 

So basically what the heck are we supposed to do? I'm feeling a big plate of eggs coming on right about now....

 

I don't know where you got your information on sugars, but it is news to me. I do know that sugar tends to bring on adult onset diabetes.

[i_like_sun]

Here is one study about high cholesterol levels in metabolic syndrome:

 

Gylling H, Hallikainen M, Kolehmainen M, Toppinen L, Pihlajamäki J, Mykkänen H, (2007). Cholesterol synthesis prevails over absorption in metabolic syndrome. Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine, Jun;149(6):310-6.

 

You can find it on Pub Med pretty easy.

 

I don't think I communicated my thoughts as well as I would have liked. Basically, what I was brainstorming was that high sugar diets have such a damaging effect on insulin sensitivity that at some point these sugars are simply not properly transported into cells.

 

Then it clicked that this is the definition of metabolic syndrome, and eventually type 2 diabetes (duh). The study I posted demonstrated that this state can lead to increased total cholesterol. Also, it makes sense in my own mind that super high sugar diets will eventually lead to higher trigliceride levels, and thus increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease. One book I read pointed out that it is far easier to go overboard on carbohydrate calories than it is on fat calories. Just think about it, four pancakes slathered in syrup are roughly equal in calories to 7 or more hard boiled eggs! Now which one would be WAY easier to stomach in one sitting? This is where I was saying that the "non burned" sugar calories are converted to triglicerides and then which leads to increases cholesterol production.

 

I have some other sources insulin somewhere, so I'll see if I can get a citation up. Overall however, I've learned that the [abdominal fat] associated with metabolic syndrome is now being recognized as a real indicator of the condition. Also, in the studies about metabolic syndrome the culprit is always sugar (particularly fructose) and not fats. And that makes sense because dietary fat elicits barely any insulin release. The last thing I'd say is that everything I've read about complex carbohydrates says that when eaten in balance, they actually improve insulin sensitivity - which lowers the probability of developing metabolic syndrome.

 

Source:

 

Vidon C, Boucher P, Cachefo A, Peroni O, Diraison F, Beylot M. (2001). Effects of isoenergetic high-carbohydrate compared with high-fat diets on human cholesterol synthesis and expression of key regulatory genes of cholesterol metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May;73(5):878-84.

 

Sorry about the long rambles. This is quickly turning into a research paper instead of light fitness conversation.......

 

Anyone else know more about this stuff?

Edited August 28, 2007 by i_like_sun

[Yeman]

That is how industry manipulates. They can say it is trans fat free as long as the amount of hydro-ed oils used in PER SERVING is less than certain grams!

Bottom line, get yer ass out and run 5 mile per day you can care less what FAT you eat!

[archenemy]

Funny enough, this topic was being discussed on the radio this morning. Specifically, they were talking about fish oil supplements on the market and how different supplements were created using different methods. The speaker talked about the hydrogenating process of many of the companies. It sure came as news to me.