Trans Fats: Why They’re Bad For Your Health

Trans fats are mainly found in processed foods. We show how you can recognize them and avoid negative effects on your health.

Better not: trans fats

Along with carbohydrates and protein, fat forms an important part of our diet. The health value depends heavily on the type of fat. Unsaturated fats are classified as good fats, while saturated fats should be consumed in moderation. This helps prevent high cholesterol levels, among other things. In general, vegetable fats, such as olive oil and rapeseed oil, are considered to be better for the body than animal fats, such as those found in e.g. found in butter. There is one exception to this rule, and that is trans fats, or more specifically, trans fats. They form when the actually healthy unsaturated fatty acids are chemically hardened during the production of food. In the process, their chemical structure changes and they have a negative effect on lipid metabolism and heart health.

These foods contain trans fats

Trans fats make spreads and finished products nice and creamy and improve the spreadability of margarine, for example. In the meantime, however, they are only used sparingly by manufacturers here, so that the question of whether butter or margarine is healthier can no longer be answered so clearly. If you want to avoid trans fats, you should take a critical look at the following foods:

• Bakery products
• creamy spreads
• convenience foods and fast food

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) also advises taking a close look at chips, French fries, and other fried potato products: there are indications that trans fats are produced when they are heated. You can recognize the bad fats by packaging information such as “hardened” and “partially hardened”. A look at the list of ingredients generally helps to identify hidden fats. As an alternative to hardened palm fat, manufacturers often use the more sustainable and comparatively healthier sal fat.

Is there a trans fat limit?

Industrial fat is difficult to avoid completely because there is no labeling obligation for trans fatty acids in Germany and the EU. In addition, trans fats are also naturally present in some foods, such as milk, cheese, and meat. The DGE recommends consuming no more than one percent of dietary energy from trans fats. That is about 2.5 grams for an adult man. If you pay attention to a balanced and conscious diet with ingredients that are as fresh as possible, it is possible to comply with this limit value. Be inspired by our healthy recipes!