Healthy eating is very essential if you want a healthy and fit body. Eating healthy is not possible if we do not check the ingredients that we consume. This includes the oil that is used to cook the food we eat. Usually most people make use of vegetable oils that are usually healthy for the body. But choosing hydrogenated oil for cooking can do more harm than good to the body. Food containing Hydrogenated Oil should not be consumed on a regular basis as it can lead to serious health issues like an increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood, greater risks of getting heart diseases as well as cardiovascular problems.
Some of the major health risks due to Hydrogenated oil are:
The risk of getting heart diseases
The first and foremost reason why we need to avoid Partially Hydrogenated Oils or PHO is due to the fact that it can cause heart diseases. Studies show that the consumption of PHO leads to the increase in the level of bad cholesterol. It also decreases the level of the good cholesterol levels. Both these conditions can cause greater risks in gaining heart disease.
Risks of getting Diabetes
The trans-fats can cause resistance to insulin, thus resulting in type II Diabetes. Eating foods with no hydrogenated oil can help you to stay out of gaining diabetes.
Risks of inflammation
Increased risks of inflammation can happen while consuming trans-fats. Such a condition is more prone to people with obesity overweight.
Risks of damaging the blood vessels
Blood is carried to various parts of the body through the blood vessels. They can be damaged as time passes by, usually when a person ages. But this can happen in an earlier stage if the person has obesity and has high blood pressure. In such a situation, the arteries become thicker, causing serious damage to the blood vessels.
Risks of gaining cancer
As per the Nutrition Research Reviews Journal, there is a relation between trans-fatty acid and breast cancer. People, especially women who consume foods without Hydrogenated oil are prone to develop breast cancer. Though there is no relevant evidence for this, hydrogenated oil consumption is sure to damage the inner blood vessel lining, causing a peculiar condition called endothelial dysfunction.
Avoiding Trans Fat
These days, we often find processed food made with the help of hydrogenated oils. The main reason is because they are cheaper and does lasts longer. Certain countries have even banned the use of hydrogenated oil. But they are still used on a wide scale in a lot of other countries. It has to be noted that recently, the consumption of hydrogenated oil has come down.
Countries like the United States label their products as ‘trans fat free’. If the food products have 0.5 grams of trans-fat in a serving, it can be given the label ‘Trans-fat free.’ Thus choosing healthy foods is easier by checking the label. Other ways of avoiding trans-fat are:
- By reading the labels with patience. If the label contains the words such as ‘partially hydrogenated’ or ‘hydrogenated,’ then it would be wise to avoid those foods.
- Make use of vegetable oils which are unhydrogenated such as olive oil and avoid those harmful vegetable oils.
- Make sure to include vegetables, fruits, fish, fat-free dairy products as well as nuts.
- Say NO to red meat, beverages and food containing sugar.
- Avoid fried as well as baked food.
- Avoid junks
When you tend to follow these rules in life, you can automatically stay healthy and fit. The dangers of trans-fat can thus be avoided to a very large extend. Foods without hydrogenated oil in short can make you stay away from heart diseases as well as issues like high blood pressure.
