What are hydrogenated oils and why are they bad for you?

Answer 1

A fat molecule consists of three fatty acids hooked to a molecule of glycerol. The fatty acids can be saturated or unsaturated, meaning either that each carbon atom is hooked to two hydrogen atoms with single bonds (or three if it's at the end), or it can have double bonds, meaning less hydrogen. The net effect of this will be the flexibility of the molecule; ultimately, whether it's solid or liquid at room temperature. Saturated fats, such as lard, are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats, like olive oil, aren't. Saturated fats are usually derived from animal sources (although not always). As anyone who's ever accidentally used olive oil as the "vegetable oil" when making brownies knows, they have different cooking properties. "Partially hydrogenated" vegetable oils are partially saturated and less runny than their unhydrogenated counterparts.

As some people flip out over the prospect of eating foods made out of lard, food makers have used vegetable fats instead, but since they're generally unsaturated, you have to make them saturated at least partially so that they behave properly.

The reason artifically hydrogenated fats are worse for you that natural saturated fats like lard is that the chemical process used makes them trans instead of cis. Trans versus cis refers to the position of carbon molecules relative to one another around the double bond and will mean nothing to you unless you're a chemist. Fats from natural sources will always have cis carbons, never trans. Your body's enzymes are all meant to work with cis fats, not trans. Hence, eating them in large quantities might not be a good idea.

Answer 2

Hydrogenation is the process by which liquid fats can be turned to solid fats. Using this process is much cheaper in the processing of snack foods and such and became very popular over the last 20 years. Hydrogenated oils contribute "trans" fats, which we now know are NOT GOOD FOR YOU. There is now mandatory labeling for transfat, which is great, but watch out because something can still show 0g of trans fats, but still contain some hydrogenated oil.

Answer 3

Hydrogenated oils raise cholesterol which can lead to "furring"blocking of arteries.Basically they are a bad insoluble fat.

Answer 4

they are not natural because hydrogen is added to it to make it harden.

Answer 5

water generated oils cause cancer of the taste buds

Answer 6

trans fat that cloggs arteries and affects cholestorol raising it leads to strokes heart attacks

Answer 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil