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Reading food labels, part two: What are Partially Hydrogenated Oils?

  

Category:  Wine & Food

Via:  peter-loves-the-real-tea-party  •  12 years ago  •  24 comments

Reading food labels, part two: What are Partially Hydrogenated Oils?

9495_discussions.jpg -Solid Trans Fat

Well first, what is hydrogenation?

All of the remainder of this article is from http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html ,

which was the most comprehensive, single stop website for information on partially hydrogenated oils i could find. I very much recommend you read it all.

-Peter


Hydrogenation is the process of heating an oil and passing hydrogen bubbles through it. The fatty acids in the oil then acquire some of the hydrogen, which makes it more dense. If you fully hydrogenate, you create a solid (a fat) out of the oil. But if you stop part way, you a semi-solid partially hydrogenated oil that has a consistency like butter, only it's a lot cheaper.

Because of that consistency, and because it is cheap, it is a big favorite as a butter-substitute among "food" producers. It gives their products a richer flavor and texture, but doesn't cost near as much as it would to add butter.

Note:
Until the 1970's, food producers used coconut oil to get that buttery flavor and texture. The American obesity epidemic began when it was replaced with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil -- most often soybean oil.

What's Wrong with Hydrogenation?

Unlike butter or virgin coconut oil, hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats. A trans fat is an otherwise normal fatty acid that has been "transmogrified", by high-heat processing of a free oil. The fatty acids can be double-linked, cross-linked, bond-shifted, twisted, or messed up in a variety of other ways.

The problem with trans fats is that while the "business end" (the chemically active part) is messed up, the "anchor end" (the part that is attached to the cell wall) is unchanged. So they take up their position in the cell wall, like a guard on the fortress wall. But like a bad guard, they don't do their job! They let foreign invaders pass unchallenged, and they stop supplies at the gates instead of letting them in.

In short, trans fats are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide. They interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function. And that is the definition of a poison. Your body has no defense against them, because they never even existed in our two billion years of evolution -- so we've never had the need or the opportunity to evolve a defense against them.

But the worst part is that in the last stages of oil processing (or "refining"), the oil is literally steam distilled to remove its odor. So it doesn't smell. But a hydrogenated oil is much worse than rancid butter. So it it did smell, it would smell worse than the most rancid butter you've ever seen. (And that goes for all refined oils, not just the hydrogenated ones. It's just that hydrogenated oils are everywhere in the American diet.) So the next time you see "partially hydrogenated oil" on a label, think "rancid butter".

Partially Hydrogenated Oils Make You Fat!

Partially hydrogenated oils will not only kill you in the long term by producing diseases like multiple sclerosis and allergies that lead to arthritis, but in the meantime they will make you fat! (See Healing Multiple Sclerosis .)

You Eat More

It's not like you have any choice in the matter. Remember that the essential fatty acids are vital to every metabolic function in your body. You will get the quantity of essential fatty acids that you need to sustain life, no matter what. You will not stop being hungry until you do.

If you are consuming lots of saturated fats, you really have no choice but to become fat, because saturated fats contain only small quantities of the polyunsaturated fats that contain the essential fatty acids you need. The key to being thin, then, is to consume foods containing large amounts of polyunsaturated oils. (Those foods include fish, olives, nuts, and egg yolks.) Over the long term, those foods remove your sense of hunger.

Note:
The difference between a "fat" and an "oil" is temperature. A "fat" is a lipid that is solid at room temperature. An "oil" is one that is liquid at room temperature. Both are lipids (or "oil/fat"). Change the temperature, and you can convert an oil into a fat, or vice versa.

Partially hydrogenated oils make you gain weight the same way that saturated fats do -- by making you consume even more fat to get the the essential fatty acids you need. But partially hydrogenated fats are even worse. Not only do they produce disease over the long term, but they interfere with the body's ability to ingest and utilize the good fats!

Picture it like this. The trans fats are now the guards along the watchtower. The essential fatty acids (the support troops) are waiting outside to get into the fort (the cell), so they can be distributed along the watchtower (the cell wall). But the guards won't let them in! So they have to find someplace to stay in town. Over time, more and more troops are finding lodging in town. So new houses (fat cells) have to built to keep them in. The town grows more and more swelled with troops (fat), and it gets bigger and bigger (fatter). It's not a pretty picture at all, when you realize that the town is your belly, buns, face, and neck.

Your Metabolism Slows

Worse, most partially hydrogenated oil is partially hydrogenated soybean oil. That's a problem, because soybean oil depresses the thyroid--which lowers your energy levels, makes you feel less like exercising, and generally makes you fatter!

Of course, soybeans have been used for centuries in the Orient--but mostly as the basis for soy sauce and tofu. Asians didn't have soy milk, soy burgers, soy this and soy that. Most of all, they never used concentrated essence of soybean, in the form of soybean oil. And they didn't hydrogenate it, and they didn't use it in everything.

Walking down supermarket aisles in America, you find product after product with partially hydrogenated oil--often in products you would never expect. But why not? After all, it's cheaper than butter. And it's not illegal. Yet. When you eat out, restaurant breads and fried foods are loaded with stuff.

As a result, Americans are consuming soybean oil--partially hydrogenated soybean oil--in virtually everything they eat. It's no wonder that America is experiencing epidemic levels of diabetes, obesitiy, heart disease, and cancer.

Avoiding Hydrogenation

When you start reading food labels, it is astonishing how many products you will find that contain partially hydrogenated oils. In the chips aisle, there are maybe two brands that don't: Lay's Classic Potato Chips (not their other brands), and Laura Scudders chips. Most every other package on the shelf does.

Then there are the cookies and crackers. Most every single one does. About the only cookie that doesn't is Paul Neuman's fig newtons. Among peanut butters, the all-natural brands (Adams and Laura Scudders) don't. All the rest seem to.

Even some items on the "health food" shelf, like Tigers Milk bars, contain partially hydrogenated oils. Can you imagine that?? A product marketed as a "health food" that contains partially hydrogenated oils? If they want to market it as a candy bar, fine. Caveat emptor. But to market it as a health food calls for a class action lawsuit on the basis of false advertising.

The more labels you read, the more astonished you will be at the variety and number of places that this insidious little killer shows up. Do read the labels. Do recoil in disgust, and do throw the product back on the shelf -- or throw it on the floor, where it belongs.

And it's not just partially hydrogenated oils, anymore...
When I first wrote this article in 1998, I asked myself, "What's going to happen when consumers begin to become aware of the dangers of partially hydrogenated oils? Are manufacturers going to stop using it? I figured that the answer, unfortunately, would be "No". They would probably just give it a new name. Well, it appears that the worst may have come to pass. Alert readers Robin Jutras, Gerard Lally, and ___ clued me in to the fact that manufacturers are now using mono- and di-glycerides --which are also hydrogenated oil products.

Deep-Fried Foods: The Ultimate Killer

Fortunately, this information is beginning to penetrate the public consciousness. Recently, a news special covered the subject. The reporter got some of the details wrong, but the general message was right on the money. And the one surprising tidbit of information in the report was the fact that most of the deep-fried foods served in fast food joints are fried in partially hydrogenated oils!

Now, deep frying all by itself is pretty bad. After all, you are applying a lot of heat. But if that heat is applied to a saturated fat, there is a limit to how much harm it can do. A saturated fat doesn't have a "business end". There is no part of it that is chemically active. It's inert. Your body can burn it for fuel, but it can't use it to carry out any of your metabolic processes.

But because a saturated fat is inert, it can't be hurt much by heat. It's not all that good for you, but it's not terrible either. So if you're going to fry, fry in a fully saturated fat like lard, or coconut oil. Or, use butter, which consists mostly of short-chain saturated fats that are easily burned for fuel, plus conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which improves health (Bruce Fife, Detox, 68). And butter tastes great. It's so good, in fact, that you don't even need to use very much to get a lot of flavor. So at home you can fry with butter to get gourmet-quality food that is also healthy.

Even better, you could fry with coconut oil -- which consists of medium chain fatty acids that contain 2/3's the calories of long-chain saturated fats. They're also metabolized differently, so they're burned for energy instead of being stored as fat. And if that's not enough, 50% of coconut oil consists of lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that's anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungus, and anti-yeast. (For more information, see Coconut Oil and Palm Kernel Oil: Miracle Medicine and Diet Pill .)

For commercial deep frying, though, butter is prohibitively expensive. Things were better when foods were fried in beef tallow and coconut oil, because they had a lot of flavor and the saturated fats aren't harmed by the heat. But all that saturated fat sounds bad, so restaurants switched to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. One "healthy" Mexican restaurant even advertised that they fried in vegetable oil. That would be somewhat better than partially hydrogenated oil -- assuming that they weren't using partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in the the first place -- but subjecting the unsaturated fatty acids contained in a vegetable oil to the high heat of a deep frying vat is deadly, especially when the oil is used and reused all day long. The result would be the same kind of trans fats that you get in the hydrogenation process!

But the absolute worst commercial frying is done by the fast-food chains, who almost uniformly do their deep frying in cheap, deadly partially hydrogenated oil. Any fats that escaped being transmogrified in the hydrogenation process are now subjected to the deep frying process. It's a miracle that any of the unsaturated fats escape being transmogrified, if any of them do.

What You Can Do

For starters, read food labels and avoid anything that contains the words "hydrogenated". That means partially hydrogenated oils, hydrogenated oils, or anything of that kind (and mono-diglycerides, as well).

Note:
In 2006, a new FDA regulation takes effect that requires manufacturers to list the amount of trans fats on their product labels. Much as I would like to tell you that you can simply look for "0% trans fats" on the label, it would be useless for you to do so. The FDA wanted to put the words, "Warning: Trans fats may be dangerous to your health" on the labels--the same warning that first appeared on cigarettes--but the industry wouldn't let them. And the way the labeling law works, the product can contain a significant percentage of trans fat, and still claim "0%". Simply put, the labeling law is nearly useless. For more information, see What's Wrong with Trans Fat Labels?

When eating out, avoid deep-fried foods at all costs, and pretend you're allergic to wheat. (You probably are! Something like 50% of the population is. See What's Wrong with Wheat? ) And when you avoid wheat you stay away from both partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup--another deadly ingredient in the American food supply that is rarely used in other countries--except where American corporations are involved.

If you follow those steps, you will do a good job of protecting yourself. But there is a simple thing you can do to help protect others, as well:

When you see a food that contains partially hydrogenated oils (especially if it claims to be healthy), put it back on the shelf upside down and backwards. (Sometimes it's impossible to put things back upside down, so at least put them on the shelf backwards.)

To find out why this is an effective boycott strategy, see How to Carry Out an Effective Consumer Boycott .

The Legal Outlook

With any luck, the first lawsuits against "food" producers will begin in the next 10-20 years. The scientific knowledge has been available since the early 1990's, at least, so there is no doubt they are fully aware of what they are doing. They have been ignoring the health effects for the sake of profit. Such behavior is both unethical and immoral. With luck, some day it will be illegal, as well.

Note:
When I originally wrote this article in 1998, I feared that as soon as the public became educated as to its danger, corporations would simply change the name of the substance or find something equally dangerous to replace it with. Fortunately, the FDA required labeling of trans fats, rather than partially hydrogenated oils. That forestalled the inevitable name change. But corporations have indeed found another process--one that may or may not be safer. To find out more, read What's Wrong with Interesterified Oils?

Epilog, 2009: Food Industry Sneaks Trans Fats Back In

Once the FDA started requiring trans fats to be listed on the label, I thought that we were finally home free. Unfortunately, it turns out that the food industry has other options. Mono- and Di-Glycerides are designated as "emulsifiers" rather than fats, so the trans fats they contain "don't count". (Until you ingest them.)

The Bigger Picture

As described in What's Wrong with American Foods? , there is more than one thing wrong with the American food supply. It is a sad fact that American corporations put profit above all other considerations--above morality, above truth, above your health. They don't regulate themselves, they're not held in check by government, and the fiction that they are regulated by "the market" is, quite simply, a lie. That problem, and the only possible solution, is described more fully in What's Wrong with American Corporations? . It's a problem we must solve, for the sake of our children's health, if for no other reason

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Pedro
Professor Participates
 
 
Shel F
Freshman Silent
link   Shel F    12 years ago

Just as an aside to this, around the time that McD's was swearing to the world to eliminate trans fats from their fryer, I was training folks in a certain uber popular chicken wing joint that used fryer grease that looked a lot like the pic above. Rumored to be 100% trans fat.....ick.

 
 
 
Larry Hampton
Professor Participates
link   Larry Hampton    12 years ago

Great stuff Peter!

I would absolutely concur with yourrecommendation. We replaced hydrogenated about a year ago and saw an increase in metabolism and energy within just a couple of days. After a coupla weeks the change was incredible! Of course we also replaced much of our protein intake with fish, nuts, and yogurt...those foods give a little boost as well. I would also comment that Coconut oil makes an excellent Curry sauce!

altogether in the last year or so-----around 35 pounds lost!

:~)

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
link   Perrie Halpern R.A.    12 years ago

Great Article Peter!

As described in What's Wrong with American Foods? , there is more than one thing wrong with the American food supply. It is a sad fact that American corporations put profit above all other considerations--above morality, above truth, above your health. They don't regulate themselves, they're not held in check by government, and the fiction that they are regulated by "the market" is, quite simply, a lie. That problem, and the only possible solution, is described more fully in What's Wrong with American Corporations? . It's a problem we must solve, for the sake of our children's health, if for no other reason


So on the money!

And about the soy industry... since it is bacisclly a monopoly of Monsanto, one should also take into consideration that the soy crop of the US isgeneticallymodified (GMO) so that it can withstand the soaking of "Round Up" that they force their farmers to use. So not only are you getting too much soy, you are also getting GMO's and toxins. Tasty, right?

Once the FDA started requiring trans fats to be listed on the label, I thought that we were finally home free. Unfortunately, it turns out that the food industry has other options. Mono- and Di-Glycerides are designated as "emulsifiers" rather than fats, so the trans fats they contain "don't count". (Until you ingest them.)


Ah a trick we only recently heard about. Now instead of reading every box on the shelf, I try to avoid just buying them and use fresh. It's not easy and more so, it's not cheap... but it's healthier.

Personal story: Dairy Products...

Years ago, when my kids were about 7, I became distressed at the fact that they were growing pubic hair. My sister just had read an article that kids who drank a lot of milk ( mine did) were having early development. Thehormonesin the dairy was causing it. I started to by organic milk... and like magic, the development stopped.

We really are what we eat.

 
 
 
Petey Coober
Freshman Silent
link   Petey Coober    12 years ago

Here is a more detailed look at the chemical structures of these fats for those who are more visually oriented :

 
 
 
Larry Hampton
Professor Participates
link   Larry Hampton    12 years ago

Another visual...Hypercholesterolemia....

220px-Lipemic_plasma.jpg


Notice the one on the right? It's nearlytransparent, thelipemicsample on the left is soopaque as to also being unable to ananlyze by many laboratory instruments.And it's gross.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

That is great Larry. Not as a comparison at all, but 3 weeks of strictly plant based, and then back to a vegan diet with no oils for the last 5 weeks, i have dropped 32 pounds. Around 24 the first month and about 3 per week since.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

mmmm.... transfat chicken wings.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

It is true. Just an FYI, but Silk brand soy products are GMO free, and any others that are are labelled as GMO free as per FDA regulations. Interesting that they have to list which ones are GMO free rather than which ones have GMO, ay?

Watch Food Inc and Food Matters. Both are tremendous movies.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

Excellent comparison and visuals.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
link   Perrie Halpern R.A.    12 years ago

I saw "Food Inc" and it rocked my world. My girl friendsponsoreda special showing of it (she's a vegan, too). She also said to see "Forks over Knives", but since the last movie left me sick to my stomach, I haven't had the guts to see that one.

What is "Food Matters" like?

BTW... I had a doh moment.. GNA's instead of GMO's LOL!

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
link   Perrie Halpern R.A.    12 years ago

Gross! Thanks Larry!

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

Forks Over Knives is more informative in a sense, but far less graphic. Food Matters is very intersting, but not really graphic at all. They are both worthy screenings.

 
 
 
Larry Hampton
Professor Participates
link   Larry Hampton    12 years ago

Holy Smokes man that works! I haven't followed along on all your foodie stuff but admit I must change that. It's very tempting to get caught in a rut and taste-boredom is a diet killer for me.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

I'll start another food diary tomorrow. You are welcome to participate. It doesnt need to be vegan, but it is interesting to go back and look at what you are really eating each day. Sometimes, you dont even realize until you look back on it.

One constant has been a green smoothie every morning (generally spinach, mint, apple, banana, flax meal, mango, carob powder). It's pretty much a nutrient power house. Anyways, we'll see what's on my plate tomorrow. Today was artichoke pasta with ginger garlic soy sauce, bok choy, chic peas...and a plate of mixed fruit for lunch. Breakfast burrito for breakfast (potato, spinach, onion, pepper, salsa, hot sauce). Lots of water and some powerade and some coffee. Not sure about dinner yet.

Tina mentioned it before, but the book Eat to Live is pretty eye opening as is the movie Forks over Knives. I'm personally not as strict as all that, but the no oils, bleached flours/sugars, animal prodcts/by-products has worked well for me. Realistically, i eat a lot more than i did before switching to veganism. My body just uses what i put in in these days.

 
 
 
Larry Hampton
Professor Participates
link   Larry Hampton    12 years ago

That sounds great Peter and thanks for theresourcesuggestions! For me it was a matter of not paying attention at all untill a coupla years ago. Hit 45, always naturally skinny and Vavoom! It just started pilin' on! Anyways it's been a bit of aprocess. And not from lack of knowledge I bashfully admit. I work as a medical lab tech, my wife an RN and is lead Diabetes Educator at the largest facility in grand Forks. No excuse except for my own laziness andstubbornness. My wife is the picture of fitness, she spurred me but it wasn't until I felt uncomfortable that I made a change.

Now, at about 75% of my ultimate loss goal but can't budge off that.Roller-coaster3-6 pounds every few days. And...a little more even at times. I know it's my diet as I get in a rush when work is busy and have to be back and forth when on call a weekend or something. Crazy!

So yeah bro, any help at all would be appreciated!

 
 
 
Summer
Freshman Silent
link   Summer    12 years ago

Have you ever seen blood drawn from someone with severe hyperlipidemia? It's really gross - it's gets all frothy and then when they spin it, it forms two very distinct layers - the RBC's on the bottom and the lipids on the top. I don't know how to put pictures in the post.

 
 
 
Petey Coober
Freshman Silent
link   Petey Coober    12 years ago

Summer ,

Pictures are easy . Put a copy of the image you want on your desktop . Then find the image icon above the reply window . It is the 2nd from the left . Click on it then click on browse and find the image you want on the dir of your desktop . Here is an unrelated image as an example : Got it ?

10833_discussions.jpg

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
link   Perrie Halpern R.A.    12 years ago


Summer asked:

Have you ever seen blood drawn from someone with severe hyperlipidemia? It's really gross - it's gets all frothy and then when they spin it, it forms two very distinct layers - the RBC's on the bottom and the lipids on the top.

10835_discussions.jpg

 
 
 
Summer
Freshman Silent
link   Summer    12 years ago

Thanks for the instruction, Rich. Sounds easy enough - I'll have to so it.

 
 
 
Summer
Freshman Silent
link   Summer    12 years ago

Perrie, That's one of the pictures. Gross to think that's it's some people's blood and think of all the damage it causes. Proper diet and exercise is essential to help prevent this - for some people, that's not enough. BUT, diet and exercise should always be the first line of defense.

Peter has certainly given some really informative articles on this subject :)

 
 
 
Larry Hampton
Professor Participates
link   Larry Hampton    12 years ago

Everyday.

We have different ways to dilute samples or use alternative methodologies; but even then, some samples can't be analyzed. Increased lipid levels may also adversely affect the ability to test for other chemicals (glucose, sodium...) in the serum depending on methodology.

Even peoplewithoutinherited Cholesterolemia have fat floating around in largequantitiesdepending on diet.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
link   Krishna    12 years ago

There are some localities that have banned the use of trans-fats in restaurants-- I had thought it was just new York City, Philadelphia, and pasts of California-- but its becomeing more widespread. i googled it and came across this website; Ban Trans Fats .

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
link   seeder  Pedro    12 years ago

Awareness is definitely on the rise.

 
 

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