Interesterified Fat
BAD FOR YOU
What is it anyways?
Interesterified fat is also known as fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. Interesterified fats have been chemically or enzymatically altered to improve their texture or nutritional profile. They're produced by combining stearic acid with vegetable oils containing unsaturated fat.
So, it's food?
It's added to foods such as margarines, and shortenings. It's also in foods like French fries, doughnuts, cookies, processed cereals, crackers, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.
Does it even have a purpose?
It was created as a substitute for trans fat, but according to scientists it's just as bad. Maybe even worse.
How's it worse?
Well, it's harmful to the human body in many ways. It raises your blood glucose (sugar) and depresses insulin production. These are common precursors that lead to diabetes and can be especially harmful if you already have diabetes. It also causes coronary heart disease in males. Processed vegetable oils appear to activate the body's immune responses when they enter the artery walls, because these fats do not resemble anything that the body recognizes, so the body attacks it. This can lead to an inflammatory response in the arteries which leads to the formation of dangerous plaque build-up. Even though this problem doesn't necessarily affect women as much, interesterified fats have found another way to harm females. These processed vegetable oils manage to somehow bypass the immune response at the artery wall in females. However they move further along into the body, and are deposited into the fatty tissues such as in the breasts, where they contribute to cancer.
Does it cause any other problems?
In fact, it does. A major problem with interesterified fat is the residue of toxic metals, usually nickel and aluminium, left behind in the finished product. These metals are used as catalysts, which are substances that increase the rate of a chemical reaction, and they accumulate in our nervous system where they can lead to neurological damage. These heavy metals also poison enzyme systems and alter cellular functions, and cause a wide variety of health problems. These toxic metals are difficult to eliminate, and build up in your body over time.
Wow, that's terrible. I'm Sure there's more, right?
Well, interesterified fat is also combined with stearic acid. Stearic acid has many uses including hardening and strenghtening candle wax, production of soaps and cosmetics and it's also used in fireworks.
No more interesterified fats!
Do you honestly want to eat food that can cause diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or neurological damage? How about food that contains ingredients also used in fireworks? No! No more interesterified fats!