Are margarine still the healthy option???????

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Normally, we know that margarine is healthier than butter because butter is made up of animal oil which consist of saturated fatty acid and margarine is made up of plant oil which consist of unsaturated fatty acid. But research show that margarine contain trans-fatty acid which will cause heart disease. Then how the trans-fatty acid come from???And how the trans-fatty acid cause heart disease.

Saturated fatty acid

Saturated fatty acids are came from animal fats (meat) and tropical oils such as coconut oils and palm oils. Saturated fatty acid is a carboxylic acid that have no double bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain and fully saturated with hydrogen atoms. It cannot react with others atom because all the carbon atoms having all the hydrogen atoms attached to it. Examples of saturated fatty acids are lauric acid (12 carbon atoms), myristic acid (14 carbon atoms), palmitic acid (16 carbon atoms) and stearic acid (18 carbon atoms). Most of the saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fatty acid will increase LDL cholesterol which is bad cholesterol and decrease the HDL cholesterol which is good cholesterol. This will block arteries and led to heart disease and stroke.

Unsaturated fatty acid

Unsaturated fatty acids are came from vegetable oils. Unsaturated fatty acid is a carboxylic acid that has double bond between the carbon chain. When there is only one double bond, it is known as mono-unsaturated fatty acid. If there is more than one double bond then it is known as poly-unsaturated fatty acid. For example, oleic acid (one double bond), linoleic acid (two double bonds) and arachidonic acid (four double bonds). This double bond make the carbon chains have kinks which cause the molecules cannot get close together. Therefore, unsaturated fatty acids are in liquid form at room temperature. Unsaturated is said to be healthier because our body can break down unsaturated fatty acid easily and used them more quickly for our body's metabolism.

There are two types of double bonds arrangement: cis unsaturated fatty acids and trans unsaturated fatty acids. In cis unsaturated fatty acid, the hydrogen atoms are on the same side . In trans unsaturated fatty acid, the hydrogen atoms are on the different side. In cis unsaturated fatty acid, the cis double bond form a sharp angle while trans double bond form a straight line which similar to a saturated fat but there are small kink at the double bond site. Most of the vegetable oil are in the cis double bond.

During hydrogenation, hydrogen is absorbed into the fatty acid molecules to remove the double bond and make the unsaturated molecule become saturated. Full hydrogenation result in converting unsaturated fatty acid into saturated fatty acid. Partial hydrogenation result in addition of hydrogen atom to reduce number of double bonds. Commercial hydrogenation is partial to obtain a malleable mixture of fats that is solid at room temperature. During partial hydrogenation, some of the cis unsaturated fatty acids form trans unsaturated fatty acid. Some of the hydrogen atoms flip flop and the hydrogen atoms are moved into different side. During hydrogenation, natural essential fatty acids are destroyed and the new artificial isomers are structurally similar to saturated fats, this lack of the essential metabolic activity of the parent compounds and inhibit the enzymatic desaturation of linoleic and linolenic acid.

For example, when oil only use for once like frying eggs, then only a few cis bonds are converted into trans bonds. But, if oil is constantly reused like the oil reusing in fast food to fry French fries, more and more of cis bonds are converted to trans bond. Trans fats are same as saturated fats which increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Trans double bond is chemically less active than a cis double bond. But the connection between trans fats are strong and reliable. Trans double bond cause inflammation inside the body which signals the deposition of cholesterol in artery.

Natural-occuring trans fat

There are some natural-occuring trans fat conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in animal products which is good kind of trans fat. Research shown that conjugated linoleic acid can be a fat burner which help to burn fat by decreasing abdominal fat but not decrease body weigh. Conjugated linoleic acid also can be used as a bone booster which help to increase bone mineral density in whole body.

LDL(Low-density lipoprotein)

LDL is known as bad cholesterol. When too much of LDL circulates in the blood, it can form plaque, thick, hard deposit that in the arteries and this will narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition known as atherosclerosis.

HDL (High-density lipoprotein)

HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol because it protects against heart attack. HDL cholesterol carry cholesterol away from the arteries back to liver. HDL also remove excess cholesterol from arterial plaque which will slow down cholesterol build up in the arteries.

Therefore,

The more solid the margarine, the more the trans fatty acids and the semi-liquid margarine contain the least trans fat. So we need to avoid solid margarine and choose a semi-liquid margarine.

As long as , they are not being hydrogenated then it is a good fat which is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acid. These oils also contain the essential fatty acids which included omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These acid cannot be produced by our body and they are necessary for us.

So, we need to check the food label first before we buy it to reduce consuming trans fat and saturated fat. Please care of your health.