• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Beauty & Health

The One Thing You Should Cut Out From Your Diet Completely

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Beauty & Health

The One Thing You Should Cut Out From Your Diet Completely

April 7, 2019

Trying to live a healthier lifestyle? There’s probably still one major component in your diet that’s holding you back, and we’re not just talking about sugar. We’re referring to trans fat, that sneaky cholesterol-raising devil that’s lurking in many of your favourite everyday foods.

Photo: 123RF

Widely known as the worst type of fat to consume, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday (March 6) that it is planning a ban on partially hydrogenated oils (PHO), which are a key source of artificial trans fat.

Fats and oils on sale in Singapore are currently allowed to contain up to 2 per cent of trans fat, under a limit set in 2013. This has helped to reduce Singaporeans’ average daily trans fat intake from 2.1g in 2010 to 1g last year. The new ban will also apply to packaged food, like noodles and cookies.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TOO:

How To Lower Stroke Risk In Women


 

READ MORE:
How Eating More Good Fats Can Actually Help You Lose Weight
What Common Food Labels Like “All-Natural” And “Low-Fat” Really Mean

13 Bad Things That Happen To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Sugar

Here are seven things you should know about trans fat, plus healthy alternatives that are actually good for you:

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/trans-fat-diet-healthier-alternatives/
The One Thing You Should Cut Out From Your Diet Completely
1. What exactly IS trans fat, anyway?
image

Trans fats are unsaturated fatty acids that can come from natural or industrial sources. Naturally occurring trans fats come from cows and sheep, while industrially produced or artificial trans fats are formed in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This converts the liquid into a solid, resulting in partially hydrogenated oils.

2. Where is trans fat found?
image

Trans fat occurs naturally in very small amounts of animal and dairy foods, but the majority of trans fat consumed is from commercial products, says Jaclyn Reutens, a dietitian from Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants.

Many might be disappointed to hear that some favourites such as fried doughnuts, baked goods including cakes, pies, and cookies, and stick margarine and other spreads contain trans fat.

But not all hope is lost.

It is estimated that less than 10 per cent of such products on sale in Singapore contain PHOs. While baked and fried street and restaurant foods often contain industrially produced trans fat, all of these products can be made without it, says the WHO.

Tip: Even if a food item is labelled as trans fat free, it may not be so. Under labelling guidelines, if a product has less than 0.5g of trans fat per 100g, it can be labelled as trans fat free.

3. Why are trans fats bad for you?
image

Trans fat increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). It is also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Trans fat also raises your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels.

Approximately 540,000 deaths each year can be attributed to the intake of artificial trans fat, the WHO reported in 2018. It said that high trans fat intake increases the risk of death from any cause by 34 per cent, coronary heart disease deaths by 28 per cent, and coronary heart disease by 21 per cent.

Trans fat has no known health benefits, the organisation added.

4. If it's so bad, why do companies use it?
image

“Trans fats are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time,” says the AHA. They also give foods a desirable taste and texture. Many restaurants and fast-food outlets use oils with trans fats for deep frying because these oils can be used many times in commercial fryers.

PHOs are solid at room temperature and prolong the shelf life of products. They were first introduced into the food supply in the early 20th century as a replacement for butter and lard, says the WHO.

“They are not a natural part of the human diet and are fully replaceable,” they emphasise.

5. How much trans fat can you take in before it negatively affects your health?
image

The daily limit is one per cent of the total calories consumed in a day, says Jaclyn. The average consumption of trans fat globally was estimated to be 1.4 per cent of total energy in 2010, with a range of 0.2 to 6.5 per cent of total energy across countries, according to the WHO.

READ MORE: 25 Foods With Practically Zero Calories That Can Help You Lose Weight

6. How to reduce intake of trans fat?
image

Some tips from the AHA include encouraging the use of naturally occurring, unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil more often, and looking for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils or saturated fat.

Countries like the United States, Canada and Thailand have banned PHOs.

7. What are the alternatives to trans fat?
image

Alternatives such as butter, which has saturated fats, and other vegetable oils high in saturated fats such as palm oil or kernel oil are great substitutes, says Jaclyn.

The WHO advised that PHOs can be replaced by oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as safflower oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and oils from fatty fish, walnuts and seeds. Oils rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids are also an alternative. These include canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil and oils from nuts and avocados.

See our top recommendations next:

Try: Naturel Extra Virgin Olive Oil
image

This Domestic Diva Award winner‘s got no cholesterol or trans fat, but still packed with taste. Even better, it contains a high amount of monounsaturated fats and natural antioxidants to boost your health. Available at leading supermarkets.

Try: Knife Rice Bran Cooking Oil
image

Also a winner in our Domestic Diva Awards, this 100 per cent pure rice bran cooking oil is free of trans fat, cholesterol and suitable for vegetarians. It contains a natural antioxidant extracted from rice grains that’s said to help fight free radicals that are known to cause cancer and cardiovascular disease. Available at leading supermarkets.

Try: Grove Avocado Oil
image

This premium extra virgin avocado oil is made from cold-pressed avocado and has a high smoke point, making it a healthier option for baking and cooking. It’s also free of trans fat, of course.

READ MORE:
Domestic Diva Awards 2018: Whip Up Super Flavourful Dishes With These Top Oils And Sauces
10 Foods With The Healthiest Fats You Should Add To Your Diet
15 Fat-Burning Foods That Will Help Get You Your Dream Body

Text: Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times / Additional reporting: Elizabeth Liew

  • TAGS:
  • cholesterol
  • Fats
  • health tips
  • healthy
  • healthy diet
  • healthy eating
  • healthy living
  • heart disease
  • Lose Weight 2019
  • trans fat
  • unhealthy food
  • Weight Loss 2019
  • world health day
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Beauty & Health

Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Cel...

Beauty & Health

8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Re...

Beauty & Health

Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night

Beauty & Health

Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Ko...

Beauty & Health

4 Simple Exercises To Improve Your Stability

Beauty & Health

This Is How Jang Na-Ra Looks 20 At 41

Beauty & Health

6 Things To Know About Chanel's Newest P...

Beauty & Health

If You've Had Covid-19, You Have More Ri...

Beauty & Health

Here's What Joanne Peh Uses To Look Radi...

Beauty & Health

Understated (But Stunning) New Hairstyle...

Family

9 Must-Know Ways To Protect Your Family ...

Beauty & Health

The Ultimate Guide To Caring For Your Eyes

Don’t Miss These
  • Awards This is the perfect escape from urban life to relax, rech...
  • Awards This Postpartum Recovery Centre Is A Must-Go Haven For Ne...
Editor’s Picks
  • Beauty & Health Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Celebs On The Beauty Of Getting Older
  • Diet & Nutrition Savour The Deliciousness Of Chocolate While Being Kind To Your Gut
  • Beauty & Health 8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Reduce Stress
  • Beauty & Health Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night
  • Organising A KonMari Consultant's Hack For Saving Time & Money At Home
  • Hair This Elixir And Shampoo Combo Promises To Revitalise Your Hair And Scalp
  • Beauty & Health Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Korean Women’s Youthful Skin
  • Skincare Jamie Yeo Swears By These 7 Beauty Products To Maintain Her Youthful Appearance
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.