What are “Trans fats”?

They are “crossed over fats” that only serve to shorten the human life!

By Manuel Luciano da Silva, Medical Doctor

There is a lot of confusion among the general public concerning the various types of fats and this is because the scientists stick to their technical terms and have not been able to explain in simple language  the important differences of the various fats, there is, which are good for our health and the ones that shorten our lives! 

In the  first place  we must know that there are two general types of fats at room temperature: 

(1)   In the liquid form, such as olive oil and the other vegetable oils; 

(2)   and the solid form,  such as butter, lards and cheeses.

The liquid fats are in general the healthy ones, and the solids fats are very rich in BAD cholesterol. 

Chemically speaking the fats belong to  four groups of acids: 

(1)    Mono-unsaturated acids
(2)    Poly-unsaturated acids
(3)    Saturated acids 
(4)    trans fats or crossed over  fats

The scientists throw at the general public this terminology of “unsaturated” or “saturated”, but saturated with what?   What is the substance that saturates the fats and turns them bad?  Why  keep such a secrete? We know what the word saturated means: ”no more of the same substance can fit or  be received”.

But I repeat, what substance is that, that can saturate the fats?

The scientists speak of hydrogenation. But what does that mean in common language?  If that means addiction of hydrogen's, can’t we  learn how is it done, so we can understand the differences between a good and a bad fat?

Before we go any further we must know that the hydrogen is  the simplest  and the lightest element that exists on earth.  Its name means “to produce water”, because two hydrogens with one oxygen make one molecule of water. In its natural state hydrogen is a colorless and odorless gas. But the hydrogen enters in the composition of many thousands of substances including hydro carbonates or sugars, proteins and fats. But we should not be fooled by the simplicity of the hydrogen. Its action is of much importance in the accordance with the chemical combination that is part of.  It is suffice  for us to think that  just one hydrogen atomic bomb will be enough to destroy completely the  New York City! 

So let us have respect for the hydrogen, because as we will see later, its QUANTITY and its combinations in the various types of fats are what determine if a fat is going to be a healthy one or another that will shorten our longevity! 

Chemical composition of the fats

We should start with the simplest fat and the one that is the best for our health: OLIVE OIL.

The chemical substance of the olive oil is called linoleic acid. But the scientists called it “mono-unsaturated fat”. They just want to complicate matters…

The chemical formula of the linoleic acid  is as follows: C18H32O2 .  This means that the olive oil is composed of 18 carbons, 32 hydrogen's and 2 oxygen's. 

If we draw the molecule of the olive oil on a diagram we will verify that the disposition of its elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen will be organized as if they constitute a railroad tack! 

Thus the carbons will form the iron tracks and the hydrogen's will be the wooden crossties that unite and maintain at the same parallel distance  the tracks so the train does  not derail… 

Fig. No. 1 – This molecular diagram shows us the railroad track  made out of carbons and the crossties  made of  the hydrogen's.

(1)     Unsaturated fat: 

Here is the molecule of the olive oil. The letters C represent the Carbon elements, the H represent the elements of Hydrogen's and the O represent the  Oxygen's. 

Fig. No. 2 –This is a photo of a railroad track showing  us clearly the comparison  of the  carbons as the tracks and  the wooden crossties as the hydrogen's. 

With the help of diagrams representing railroad tracks we will be able to comprehend very easily  that the number of wooden  crossties – representing the elements of hydrogen  – will determine  the  QUALITY OF THE FATS.

The SMALLER the  number of the wooden ties or elements of hydrogen  in its molecule, the LIGHTER THE FAT WILL BE,  and therefore the more liquid and the better it is for our health.   This is the reason why such a fat is called mono -unsaturated fat, because it has a relative small number of hydrogen's.   

Fig 3 - This drawing  of a railroad track shows us clearly the wooden crossties and the iron tracks in comparison with hydrogen and carbon elements. Please note that this  railroad track has FEW CROSSTIES, or  A SMALL NUMBER OF HYDROGEN'S. This is the reason why the molecule of  the OLIVE OIL is called MONO-UNSATURATED  FAT,  that is, NOT saturated with hydrogen's.

(2)  Poly - unsaturated fats

When a fat has two or more mono-unsaturated  fats  on its molecule it  is called poly-unsaturated fat. The word Poly is Greek meaning many.  

Fig. 4- This drawing shows TWO mono-unsaturated fats, typical of the  other vegetable oils . The word POLY  is Greek meaning MANY. This is the reason why the scientists call this group of fats: Poly-unsaturated fats. 

(3)  Saturated fats:

   When a molecule of a specific fat has lots of hydrogen's, or many wooden crossties, it becomes heavier, more dense, more solid and therefore  will be worse for our health. In this case this fat is  saturated  with hydrogen's!

In the saturated  fats, the wooden crossties, or hydrogen's, rest very closed to each other in such a way that looking at the railroad track it seem that it is covered with black tar. This means that this fat is saturated because it cannot accept any more hydrogen's in its molecule!  

Fig. 5- This drawing  shows us that the crossties representing the hydrogens are  ABUNDANT very close together,  are SATURATED. The molecule CANNOT take any more hydrogens.

(4)  Trans fats or Crossed over fats

Now we are going to explain what are Trans Fats or Crossed Fats. 

But before we do that,  let us raise this question: What happens to the railroads tracks when they are exposed to the heat of the summer?  The tracks expand  with the heat, becoming tortuous to the point that they can cause a derailment of the train!  To prevent this disaster the iron tracks are placed over the wooden crossties with certain intervals between  the extremities of each other, to avoid numerous railroad accidents. 

We are going to verify that  also when we use fats to fry foods at high temperatures  the “iron track” composed of  the carbons of the same fat they will DISTEND and BECOME TORTUOUS  and at the same time the wooden crossties made of the hydrogens will JUMP OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, making the railroad track very dangerous  causing derailment of the train, because the frying fat has become a trans fat or crossed fat. And when we eat the foods prepared with this technique – with trans fats – our health will be derailed! 

Molecule of the Trans Fats or Crossed  Fats

Trans  Fats are derived from the saturated fats which are saturated with hydrogen's.   

Fig. 6-  When we look at the molecule of the Trans fats or Crossed Fats   we should note the following: 

(1) complete saturation  of wooden crossties or hydrogens, 
(2) TORTUOUS  railroad tracks, 
(3)  the hydrogens  HAVE  CROSSED OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS. 

The most important thing we should note is that due to the frying at high temperatures  the wooden crossties or hydrogens will jump over the railroad tracks  appearing CROSSED OVER  the tracks giving  thusly origin to its name of Trans Fats or Crossed Fats. 

The Trans Fats not only have a saturation of hydrogens  all around the tracks but OVER THE TRACKS! No train will be able to travel over a Trans Fat railroad track.

What are Trans fats for?

Mother Nature is not able to produce trans fats. Only man is able to synthesized them by  frying it at high temperatures. 

For what purpose did man invented the trans fats?

The trans fats have the capacity to preserve the various types of foods  for longer  periods of time on the selves of the grocery stores,  before they become spoiled by rancid changes,  or putrefaction. This has been  a  great advantage to the industry production of foods. Today practically ALL the foods are packaged  with a thin layer of trans fats  in order to protect them longer on the shelves. 

What effects do trans fats or crossed over fats have  in our health?

(1)    They significantly diminish the good cholesterol (HDL) 

(2)    They augment in a major form the bad cholesterol (LDL

(3)    They cause major arteriosclerosis in the arteries of the heart, brain kidneys, increasing the probabilities of heart attacks,  and cerebral attacks or strokes.

(4)    Trans fats cause  a greater percentage of heart attacks as the study done by Harvard Medical School concluded  with eighty five thousand women. 

(5)    Trans fats diminish the capacity of the red blood cells to respond to Insulin, therefore worsening the diabetes. 

(6)    The trans fats decrease also the defense mechanism of our immunity.

(7)    The trans fats increase the chances of  developing various types of cancer. 

(8)    There are scientists that state vigorously  that the trans fats are much worse than the saturated fats. 

(9)    The worst of it all is that people get adjusted to the taste of trans fats. They almost became addicted to them! 

  (10)    If the trans fats increase the life of the foods on the shelves, they DECREASE  the life of the people that eat them!

The trans fats or crossed fats are found now in thousands of foods such as fried potatoes, cookies, puddings, fried chicken, donuts, and  most of the foods served at the fast food restaurants.

But the most sad part of all this is that the American Government does not oblige the food industry to inform on  the labels attached to the various foods  the quantity of the trans fats in each food  it contains. This is an illegal situation and various sues have been submitted  to the American Courts and this number  will increase in the near future,  I am sure. 

The American Government  through its  Federal Food and Drug Administration  has  already stated that in two years  they will required  information on  every label  spelling out the quantities of trans fats. 

At the present time, by law, every labels on the various foods have to inform the consumers of its content in cholesterol, sugar, protein, fiber, vitamins, calcium  and calories. These labels also inform of the total of fats in grams, BUT THEY DO NOT SPECIFY THE TYPE OF FATS.  This is the Achilles tendon of  this discussion. The consumers MUST BE INFORMED  HOW MUCH TRANS FATS DOES A CERTAIN FOOD HAS. 

Denmark is presently the only country in the world that requires by law that every label specify how much trans fats do the food contain.  Denmark has just reported (2007) that in TWO YEARS their coronary disease has DECREASED 20 per cent!

Here in America we DO NOT HAVE YET such a law. We hope it comes soon because when it gets here it will be  long overdue.

Conclusions: 

The hydrogenation  of the vegetable oils by frying at high temperatures  only damages the nutritious value of such oils including the olive oil, transforming them into trans fats or crossed fats.

The best way to prepare our foods is to BOIL and BROIL them, and then use the oil over  the food already cooked, so this way the oil will be fresh and natural, preserving their mono or polyunsaturated fats, which are   the only fats  that are good for  our health and that will make us live longer!   Good luck!