According to a study it was found that hydrogenated fat or processed fat resulted in potbelly. These types of fats are used mainly in biscuits to cut manufacturing costs of foods and increase their shelf life . They are found in abundance in pastry and ready meals. People put on weight especially in the stomach which can accelerate ill health. Hydrogenated fat is made by heating natural fats to 250C and then bubbling hydrogen through them. This makes the oil dense and waxy thereby it facilitates the binding of the food and prolongs shelf life.
Many studies point out to the fact that hydrogenated vegetable fats can contribute to heart disease, narrowing of blood vessels and diabetes. Potbelly increases the pressure on the heart and results in an increase in the risk of diabetes and chronic diseases. Rebecca Foster, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said that care should be taken in this regard. A study was carried out in monkeys over a period of six years by the scientists at the Wake Forest University School of medicine in North Carolina. About 50% of the monkeys were fed with western-style diet containing hydrogenated fat and the rest were given the same calorific intake of monosaturated fats.At the end of the study it was astonishing to find that animals which were fed with hydrogenated fat diet had a 7.2% increase in body weight, compared with a 1.8% increase for those that had eaten food with monosaturated fats. By using computer tomography it was found that 30% of the fat was deposited in their abdomen. Dr Kylie Kavanagh, the author would present her findings at the 66th annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. She also pointed out to the fact that the six-year study of monkeys was equivalent to 20 years in humans. Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, said that food prepared using hydrogenated fat make food taste better. But care should be taken that one does not exceed the recommended dose of hydrogenated fat which is 5g daily.
