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Unhealthy fats
Part 3: Interesterified fats
Trans-fatty acids are now being abandoned by many manufacturers as it has
become accepted that they are harmful. Instead, a new type of fat, called
interesterified
fat, has been developed.
Interesterified fat is hydrogenated and then rearranged on the molecular level,
a process which hardens fat in much the same way as trans-fatty acids.
But new research published in a recent issue of
Nutrition & Metabolism
suggests that interesterified fats may be even more unhealthy than the
trans-fats they replace.[1]
The structure of each individual fat molecule is important to health as the
specific location of individual fatty acids on the glycerol molecule seems to
affect the metabolism of both fat and glucose.
Two key results from the study, which compared diets containing natural
saturated palm oil with partially hydrogenated soybean oil and interesterified
soybean oil, stood out:
Firstly, HDL levels dropped on the interesterified fat diet; and secondly,
while blood glucose levels remained relatively stable for 8 hours on the palm
oil and partially hydrogenated soybean oil diets, the interesterified fat diet
suppressed insulin production allowing blood glucose levels to rise by an
alarming 20%.
Reference
1. Sundram K, Karupaiah T, KC Hayes KC. Stearic acid-rich interesterified fat
and trans-rich fat raise the LDL/HDL ratio and plasma glucose relative to palm
olein in humans.
Nutr Metab 2007
; 4: 3.
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