Low Fat Foods Low Fat Alias Are Not Always Healthy

Medical Video: 10 Foods You CAN'T Get FAT From Even If You Tried!

Photo source: lifewithgreens.com

If your goal is to lose weight or reduce cholesterol levels in the body, then eat foods with low fat labels (low-fat)or fat free (fat-free) can't be the main key to your diet. Label low-fat or fat-free on food can be deceiving you, because in these products various things can thwart the diet and have a negative impact on health.

‘Low-fat'But high in trans fat

Since the 1980s, products have been labeled low-fat or fat-free has developed and become a 'center of attention' for consumers who want to make a healthy lifestyle. Claims that arise from the product low-fat is able to improve and maintain the health status of consumers, especially heart health. Unhealthy fats usually come from animal fat, which is in the form of saturated fat. Saturated fats from animal fats can cause deposition in blood vessels and cause cholesterol levels in the body to increase, therefore it is recommended not to consume too much red meat, full cream milk, and some processed foods.

But when fats are replaced by producers, they replace animal fat with plant-derived fats, which are basically unsaturated fats. When processing takes place, hydrogenation occurs in the food ingredients. This hydrogenation process can result in changes in vegetable fats in food. Hydrogenated vegetable fat then becomes trans fat which is very dangerous if it enters the body, because it can increase cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Therefore, food is labeled low-fat not always low fat. It's better if before buying the meal or drink, check and read the nutritional value information on the packaging.

Not only trans fat, sugar levels are also high

Most products use labels fat-free or even low-fat it usually has a higher sugar content and additives compared to foods with normal fat content. A study conducted in the United Kingdom stated that food low-fat or fat-free instead it has 10% higher calories and 40% higher sugar content than ordinary products. When the fat of a product is reduced or even eliminated, it will affect the taste of the product. To improve taste, the removed fats are replaced with higher levels of sugar, salt, and additives.

In addition, the study found that consumers who often consume foods labeled low-fat instead it tends to be overweight. Most people also consider it okay to consume a labeled product low-fat or fat-free in large portions, because the calories, sugar, and fat in it are also low. This is what can cause people to eat food low-fat overweight and obesity.

When you eat foods that contain simple carbohydrates such as sugar, the body will quickly digest it and turn it into blood sugar, so that blood sugar will increase dramatically. High blood sugar levels can cause excessive hunger that makes you eat food again low-fat this, not just once or twice, maybe you can even consume it many times because it considers eating food low-fat excess doesn't matter. This is what makes consumers become overeating and cannot control the calories they eat.

How to avoid labeled food traps low-fat?

The most important thing is to read the nutritional value information on each labeled food or beverage package low-fat or fat-free. Compare this with products with normal fat content, whether low-fat foods have higher calories, sugar, salt, or other additives compared to normal food products. If so, then you better choose food products with normal fat levels.
Be careful with the size of each packaged food, because not all packages have the same serving size. There are foods that have a serving size per package, per one piece, or per gram. It's better if you count the total calories, total fat, and sugar in one package and don't be fooled by the serving size that might be made in size per gram, not for one package.
If you have a large appetite, then you should choose foods that are normal in fat than low-fat foods to avoid overeating. Even a study found that fat substitutes in food low-fat can cause excessive hunger and this can make you eat uncontrollably.

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