Thursday, November 6, 2008
Although this Web site contains information primarily about soy protein, another major component of the soybean, soybean oil, is the most widely used vegetable oil in the country. Liquid soybean oil is low in saturated fat and high in poly- and monounsaturated fats and is among the most healthful of all edible oils. It is also one of the few nonfish sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may be beneficial in helping to prevent cancer and heart disease. In addition, the FDA says that foods containing eiscosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids can now carry a qualified health claim stating that they may help to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Although liquid soybean oil is used in a number of products, including salad dressings, cooking oils, and some brands of margarine, other food applications require a more solid form of oil for increased stability and texture. Hydrogenation is the process of rearranging the chemical structure of a liquid oil to make it more solid, which also produces trans fatty acids. Hydrogenated vegetable oils became very popular in the '70s and '80s as a replacement for oils that are high in saturated fat, such as lard, tallow, and some tropical oils.
More recent research suggests that trans fatty acids may behave similarly to saturated fats in the body, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to require food manufacturers to list trans fatty acid content on the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels effective January 2006. In the meantime, the soybean industry is working diligently on creating new varieties of soybeans that will produce a more healthful oil that does not require hydrogenation. Simultaneously, soybean processors are developing new oil-processing techniques that prevent the formation of trans fat.
It is important to keep in mind that even today, trans fats represent only 2.6 percent of the average American's total caloric intake, whereas saturated fats represent approximately 12.5 percent of total calories. Most health authorities do not recommend replacing trans fats with saturates, and instead advocate reducing the total amount of fat in the diet. The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee suggests total fat intake be less than 30 percent of total calories. The best advice is to look for oils that are high in poly- and monounsaturated fat and relatively low in saturated fat, such as liquid soybean oil.
source:
http://www.soybean.org/Trans.html
Although liquid soybean oil is used in a number of products, including salad dressings, cooking oils, and some brands of margarine, other food applications require a more solid form of oil for increased stability and texture. Hydrogenation is the process of rearranging the chemical structure of a liquid oil to make it more solid, which also produces trans fatty acids. Hydrogenated vegetable oils became very popular in the '70s and '80s as a replacement for oils that are high in saturated fat, such as lard, tallow, and some tropical oils.
More recent research suggests that trans fatty acids may behave similarly to saturated fats in the body, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to require food manufacturers to list trans fatty acid content on the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels effective January 2006. In the meantime, the soybean industry is working diligently on creating new varieties of soybeans that will produce a more healthful oil that does not require hydrogenation. Simultaneously, soybean processors are developing new oil-processing techniques that prevent the formation of trans fat.
It is important to keep in mind that even today, trans fats represent only 2.6 percent of the average American's total caloric intake, whereas saturated fats represent approximately 12.5 percent of total calories. Most health authorities do not recommend replacing trans fats with saturates, and instead advocate reducing the total amount of fat in the diet. The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee suggests total fat intake be less than 30 percent of total calories. The best advice is to look for oils that are high in poly- and monounsaturated fat and relatively low in saturated fat, such as liquid soybean oil.
source:
http://www.soybean.org/Trans.html
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