Are you aware of the secret ingredient which is damaging your health?
Since the 1960s, saturated fat has been the villain of nutritional guidelines, and more recently, sugar has emerged as the new enemy. However, did you know that a dark horse has invaded our diet and is wreaking havoc on our health? Introducing… trans fats.
What’s the problem?
The more trans fats you eat, the greater the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Have you had your cardiovascular disease risk checked this year?
There are a number of factors which significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some examples are blood pressure, cholesterol, and body fatness. It is important to identify these risk factors earlier in life rather than later, after all, prevention is better than treatment. Let’s Get Healthy provide tailored health checks for employees which are designed to highlight key risk factors. Our services work around your shift patterns too, meaning that even your night shift workers can receive a health check.
Where do trans fats come from?
Trans fats are a widely used food additive which enhance the flavour of foods, preserves texture, and prolong shelf life. The major sources of trans fats are margarines, baked goods (cakes, crackers, cookies, pastries), snack foods (crisps and popcorn), and any foods which are fried in cheap vegetable oils such as doughnuts, chips, and fried chicken. Whilst other places in the world have banned trans fats, the UK is lagging behind. In 2016, the Check Your Chips research project found that some takeaway portions of chips contain about 15g of trans fats, which is around three times the recommended daily maximum.
How to dodge the bad stuff
- Avoid foods which are fried at high temperatures in vegetable oils
- Think twice about eating packaged junk foods which have a long shelf life
For more information about our health checks call us on 01924 666 295.