Nutrition - Hydrogenation, Trans Fats and Cholesterol

Hydrogenation and trans fats is where amounts of vegetable oils (unsaturated) are made into more solid fats e.g. margarine and shortening. The formation of saturated fatty acids occurs when the heating, catalysing and the pumping of hydrogen happens. Single bonds replace the double bonds which are again full of hydrogen. A very waxy hard substance is made when vegetable oil is fully hydrogenated. Although there are some amounts of vegetable oil that still contain unsaturated double bonds, they will have been converted into trans fatty acids.

The following foods contain trans fats - pies and pastries, cakes, crackers, biscuits, margarine (many), pre-prepared food, low fat processed foods (many) and take away foods.

Cancer, diabetes, obesity, birth defects and low birth weight babies, sterility, lactation difficulties, atherosclerosis, difficulties with tendons and bones and also decreased visual acuity are diseases that have been linked in with the consumption of hydrogenated fats. It can also affect blood lipid levels as well as decreasing healthier HDL cholesterol and increasing LDL cholesterol. The effect is double that of saturated fat. Lastly, it has been shown that 30,000 premature CHD deaths per year could be linked in to the consumption of trans fatty acids.

Cholesterol has no calories, it can't be used as energy in the body and it is a large lipid molecule though it is used in the tissues. This is for essential functions and structure.

Cholesterol produces steroid hormones, is the synthesis of vitamin D and bile acids whilst being an essential part of cell membranes.

75-80% of the body's own supply of cholesterol is synthesised by the liver though dietary cholesterol plays only a small part of meeting a persons daily needs. The amount the body synthesises increases when dietary cholesterol intake is low. Cholesterol production falls as the dietary intake increases.

Nutrition - Reliable sources for nutritional information

The Nutritional Therapy Council regulate the industry whilst the BANT (British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutrition Therapy) evaluate therapists (nutritional) in the UK.

If you are looking to obtain nutritional information, reliable sources are found within these places:

COMA - Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition
BNF - British Nutrition Foundation
ION - Institute of Optimal Nutrition
FSA - Food Standards Agency
Scientific nutrition journals

What this course enables me to do is advise people about nutrition but by no means am I a Registered Dietician or a Nutritional Therapist, I am a Personal Trainer after all! I can't advise on illnesses though I can advise generally on food and diet. Illnesses would include severe obesity, cancer, CV (cardiovascular) disease, diabetes mellitus and elevated cholesterol.

Back to the advising part... certain things have to be taken into account when helping someone with their nutrition. This involves religious practices and food habits.