Regular consumption of trans fats increases the risk of heart disease by 20% and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 25%.
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Trans fats in food are responsible for around 500,000 deaths from coronary heart disease worldwide each year. This is stated in the latest report from the World Health Organization. About 5 billion people are particularly susceptible to regular exposure to so-called industrially produced trans-fatty acids, which enter the human body with processed foods, fast food, baked goods, processed vegetable oils. Regular consumption of trans fats increases the risk of heart disease by 20% and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 25%. It’s worth giving it some thought before planning the next time you eat a snack with chips and a soda.
Trans fats are toxic chemicals that kill and should have no place in food, says WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Of the 16 countries with the highest proportion of deaths from coronary heart disease attributable to the consumption of trans fats, 9 do not adequately control their levels in processed foods. Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea are on the WHO blacklist.
WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
WHAT ARE TRANS FATS?
In fact, there are two types of trans fats in food: natural and industrial. One source of natural trans fat is beef, red meat. But most of the unhealthy trans fat is the result of food processing in food factories, making processed foods cheaper and extending their shelf life. There’s a lot of trans fat in margarine, ghee, donuts, everything fried and overcooked, fast food.
WHAT ARE TRANS FAT DOING TO US?
They get into the blood. The more trans fats there are, the higher the bad cholesterol content, the cell walls harden and inflame, the vessels lose their elasticity, the arteries become “clogged”. Over time, this leads to cardiovascular problems.
