Spectrum Hydrogenation and Trans-Fatty Acids

Expeller Pressed vs. Cold Pressed
Hydrogenation and Trans-Fatty Acids
To Filter or Not Filter?
Refined or Unrefined?
Packaging
Culinary Oils Processing Guide

Hydrogenation and Trans-Fatty Acids

Trans-fats may well be our worst enemy. Trans-fats are formed during a chemical process called hydrogenation whereby cellular chains of fats are artificially altered to create a more solid, stable substance. The result is virtually impossible for our bodies to break down. Despite the grave concern that trans-fats may be a leading contributor to heart disease, cancer and other maladies, many mass food manufacturers continue to use hydrogenation to enhance shelf stability.

History of Hydrogenation
Hydrogenation was developed in the early 1900s and instantly adopted by the food manufacturing industry. By heating inexpensive, inferior quality oils and exposing them to metal catalysts, a manufacturer could artificially create a solid or semi-solid substance that was essentially shelf-stable. This discovery ushered in shortening, margarine and shelf-stable baked goods to America’s pantries. Unfortunately for consumers, the full effects of hydrogenation and the trans-fatty acids it produces were not understood until hydrogenation was already well entrenched in the food industry.

Trans-Fatty Acids
In a natural oil, fatty acid double bonds have two hydrogen atoms on one side of a link which repel each other and create a kink in the chain, called a ‘cis’ configuration. Depending upon the lipid profile of the molecule, the chain may have one or several kinks. Hydrogenation chemically alters these double bonds so that the hydrogen atoms are on opposing sides, in a ‘trans’ configuration, and the chain is straightened out. Straight molecular chains are more compact than kinked ones, thus creating a more stable whole.

Effects of Trans-Fatty Acids
The implications of this seemingly infinitesimal change are actually quite dramatic. These altered substances have been shown to decrease High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and increase cholesterol, and have been thought to contribute to degenerative diseases like diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. What’s more, the full health repercussions of the metals used in the process (often nickel or aluminum) are not wholly understood to date.

Spectrum is a company truly devoted to promoting optimal health through nutrition, which is why all of Spectrum’s products are trans-fat free. We urge you to educate yourself about all the foods that you eat, and choose wisely for you and your family.