Trans Fat Research Paper

What are hydrogenated fats and oils? Hydrogenated fats are unnatural fats that are detrimental to your health. Food fats naturally occur in three general types: Saturated (e.g., butter,lard, coconut oil) Monounsaturated (e.g., olive or canola oils) and Polyunsaturated (e.g., omega-6 oils like sunflower or safflower oil, or omega-3 oils like fish and flaxseed oils). Fully hydrogenated oils are oils that are heated and mixed with hydrogen gas in order to transform them from liquids to solids for use in food products. Although fully hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fats, they do still contain fat, so you may want to use them sparingly to maintain a healthy weight. An example of a hydrogenated oil is peanut oil, corn oil and cottonseed oil.

A number of studies have shown that trans fats raise cholesterol levels in the blood. However, as of 1999, label laws in the United States do not require food manufacturers to include information about trans fats in nutrition labeling. So, a product whose label says it is low in heart-damaging saturated fat, may still contain a large amount of trans fats. Hydrogenated fats may interfere with the ability of the cells of the body to metabolize the fats that are good for you. This may damage cell membranes of vital structures, such as the brain and nerve

German chemist Wilhelm Normann showed in 1901 that liquid oils could be hydrogenated, and patented the process in 1902. In 1911, they began marketing the first hydrogenated shortening, Crisco (composed largely of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil). Production of hydrogenated fats increased steadily until the 1960s, as processed vegetable fats replaced animal fats in the US and other western countries. At first, the argument was a financial one due to lower costs; advocates also said that the unsaturated trans fats of margarine were healthier than the saturated fats of butter. As early as 1956 there were suggestions in the scientific literature that trans fats could be a cause of the large increase in coronary artery disease but after three decades the concerns were still largely unaddressed. By the 1980s, fats of animal origin had become one of the greatest concerns of dieticians. Mandatory food labeling for trans fats was introduced in several countries.Campaigns were launched by activists to bring attention to the issue and change the practices of food manufacturers. In January 2007, faced with the prospect of an outright ban on the sale of their product, Crisco was reformulated to meet the United States Food and Drug Administration definition of "zero grams trans fats per serving" by