The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is recommending that all food manufacturers stop using transfats.
We all know that saturated fats ( in dairy products and red meat) are bad for you. But transfats are even worse.
They damage the cells of our bodies. Each cell has an outer membrane made up of a phospho-lipid bi-layer. That is a layer of phosphorus molecules and a layer of fat molecules. Transfats inhibit the proper working of this bi-layer, because transfats are rigid and stiff whereas other fats are pliable and soft. If the membrane around the cell is not working, the cell can't work as well as it should.
You find transfats (also known as hydrogenated fats) in manufactured food due to high temperature cooking. Even healthy vegetable oils become transfats when heated. So your chip oilmight be healthy sunflower, but after 2 or 3 heatings, the oil turns into transfats and must be thrown away.
Instead of chips try this. Cut spuds into 6 or 8 wedges and put in a bowl. Pour over a tablespoon or two of healthy oil (rapeseed is cheaper than olive and just as good, often just called vegetable oil and is pale in colour) and add a bit of salt. Mix together with your hands. Cook in the oven for 20 mins at 180C. Cost 40p and much better than oven chips which take just as long!
We all know that saturated fats ( in dairy products and red meat) are bad for you. But transfats are even worse.
They damage the cells of our bodies. Each cell has an outer membrane made up of a phospho-lipid bi-layer. That is a layer of phosphorus molecules and a layer of fat molecules. Transfats inhibit the proper working of this bi-layer, because transfats are rigid and stiff whereas other fats are pliable and soft. If the membrane around the cell is not working, the cell can't work as well as it should.
You find transfats (also known as hydrogenated fats) in manufactured food due to high temperature cooking. Even healthy vegetable oils become transfats when heated. So your chip oilmight be healthy sunflower, but after 2 or 3 heatings, the oil turns into transfats and must be thrown away.
Instead of chips try this. Cut spuds into 6 or 8 wedges and put in a bowl. Pour over a tablespoon or two of healthy oil (rapeseed is cheaper than olive and just as good, often just called vegetable oil and is pale in colour) and add a bit of salt. Mix together with your hands. Cook in the oven for 20 mins at 180C. Cost 40p and much better than oven chips which take just as long!
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