Читать книгу The Alkalizing Diet - Istvan Fazekas - Страница 19

Hydrogenation is a chemical process in which unsaturated fats are transformed into saturated fats by injecting the former with copious amounts of hydrogen. You have read the ingredients of the commercial cupcakes you love to secretly indulge in and found “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” often among the top five ingredients. This hydrogenation process increases the shelf life of the product. Real butter will go rancid in time (without refrigeration), and chemically hydrogen-impregnated vegetable oil alleviates this problem and, according to the food industry, will taste just as delectable months, perhaps years, from the day it was created. Margarines and shortenings are produced through this hydrogenation process as a low-cost preservation method for baked goods.

The ensuing problem is that the unsaturated fatty acid gets mutated in the process of hydrogenation. The naturally occurring form of the fatty acid, called a cis form, basically a spiraling molecular structure, gets involuntarily straightened out. The mutant post-hydrogenation form, the straight version, is called a trans fatty acid and is well-documented as causing higher LDL cholesterol levels and elevating risks for heart disease. So stick with organic butter and shun the margarines—butter is better; just keep to slender portions.