Trans fat is made through hydrogenation, a process where manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.
like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, trans fat raises LDL “bad” cholesterol and make you more likely to get heart disease. The fat also lower HDL “good” cholesterol.
Trans fat is mainly found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.
The director, Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Salma Anas Ibrahim, has therefore, warned against the consumption of these food as she linked the increasing rate of heart diseases to unhealthy fats.
She said margarine is the common form of trans fat. “The common one is margarine which is so common. Nigerians like margarine, they will even ask you to send it to them even when they are abroad and they will tell you they want the Nigerian margarine, that Nigeria margarine is trans fat, we should avoid it as much as we can.”
She worried that most people who are into food business, especially bread making, cakes and other snacks use trans fat and a lot of Nigerians consume these foods without knowing the effects on their hearts.
“Unfortunately, a lot of unhealthy fats have infiltrated our markets and we are working with NAFDAC to ensure that we avoid these fats. Our fats are hydrogenated, this is very common to make them solid so that they don’t burn off when you burn them in the frying pan but unfortunately, most businesses, especially those that are in the business of food, they use the trans fat and this is what is mostly used today in bread making, in our cakes and several other snacks that we consume every day.
Ibrahim said margarine is the common form of trans fat, saying that Nigerian should avoid it as much as they can. “The common one is margarine which is so common. Nigerians like margarine, they will even ask you to send it to them even when they are abroad and they will tell you they want the Nigerian margarine, that Nigeria margarine is trans fat, we should avoid it as much as we can,” she urged.
She cautioned Nigerians to be mindful of what they consume, saying that most people who are into food business, especially bread making, cakes and other snacks use trans fat and that is want is causing heart problem.
“Unfortunately, a lot of unhealthy fats have infiltrated our markets and we are working with NAFDAC to ensure that we avoid these fats. Our fats are hydrogenated, this is very common to make them solid so that they don’t burn off when you burn them in the frying pan but unfortunately, most businesses, especially those that are in the business of food, they use the trans fat and this is what is mostly used today in bread making , in our cakes and several other snacks that we consume every day.
“So we are urging Nigerians to be very careful and that trans fat is very dangerous to our health. This is what goes and cause a lot of problems to our circulation and we end up having a lot of heart problems. Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest cases of heart problem in the world and it’s all as a result of consumption of unhealthy fats.
“Most of the fats have dangerous cholesterol which is the bad fat,” she said.
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