Food with ‘trans fat’ in abundance in the market, heart and brain are paying the penalty
Doctors say that the trans fat (very bad fat) hidden in bakery products, noodles, puffs and French fries, which are abundant in the market, is causing serious damage to the heart and nervous system at a young age.
Food with ‘trans fat’ in abundance in the market, heart and brain are paying the penalty
February 15, Kathmandu. ‘What is the worst fat found in?’ This is a question that senior cardiologist Dr. Ommurthy Anil often asks his patients who come to him for check-ups.
Most of those who come to check answer, ‘Red meat, ghee, milk, butter.’
Some add, ‘The fat in oil can be bad.’
He explains, ‘The worst fat in the world is found in foods containing trans fats.’
According to Dr. Anil, eating foods containing trans fats for a long time is fatal to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and brain. But we do not find it unusual to eat biscuits with tea in the morning, puffed noodles in the afternoon, and french fries with friends in the evening.
But hidden within this easy and tasty option is ‘trans fat’, i.e. very bad fat (unhealthy fat).
According to the doctor, foods containing trans fats are causing chronic diseases in the body. This is not a ‘normal fat’, but a silent poison that opens the door to chronic diseases.
A monitoring conducted by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control last November showed this alarming situation. During the monitoring, the ‘croissant’ of Nanglo Bakery and the puff produced by Khajuri Nepal Pvt. Ltd. were found to be harmful to health. After ‘trans fat’ was found to be more than the limit set by the government, the Food Department completely banned the sale and distribution and destroyed them.
Trans fat is considered one of the most harmful fats from a health perspective. According to experts, the reason for the increase in trans fat is unhealthy diet and urban lifestyle. Due to trans fat, heart attacks are increasing at a young age.
‘The trend of heart attacks that we are seeing in patients is directly related to diet,’ says senior cardiologist Dr. Prakash Raj Regmi, ‘Trans fat is an important reason for that.’
What is trans fat?
Trans fat is found from two sources, natural and artificial. It is found in the fat in red meat of animals such as cows, buffaloes, goats, and in dishes made from milk and yogurt. According to doctors, trans fats obtained from natural sources when consumed in small amounts do not have much negative impact on health. However, consuming excessive amounts can have negative impacts.
Industrial trans fats produced in the food industry are extremely harmful to health. They are obtained from artificial sources.
Industrial trans fats are mainly produced by converting vegetable oils into ghee through hydrogenation. In this process, it is produced by heating vegetable oils at high temperatures and adding hydrogen molecules. In this process, the liquid oil is converted into a solid state, i.e. vegetable ghee.
The vegetable ghee produced from this process is used to make various processed foods including bakery products, biscuits, cookies, ready-made noodles, bhujiya, dal moth, potato chips, etc.
Trans fats, which are produced by heating cheap oils in the industry and adding hydrogen, increase the amount of fat. In addition, foods cooked in such very bad fats become tasty and can be stored for many days.
Foods cooked in such oil are mostly used for packaged foods. Foods that look attractive from the outside are very harmful to health. Even if vegetable oil is heated many times, the amount of trans fat increases. Pakodas, samosas, potatoes, and chicken cooked in such oil are delicious to eat.
Another senior cardiologist, Dr. Premraj Vaidya, says, “It is considered good to eat one teaspoon of ghee a day. However, trans fat-rich foods are very dangerous.”
Senior cardiologist, Dr. Ommurthy Anil, says that heart attacks are increasing in people in their 30s and 40s. The main reason for this is a bad lifestyle and eating trans fat-rich foods. He says, “Trans fat-rich foods cause blockage in the blood vessels of a healthy person and lead to heart attacks. It affects everyone from children to senior citizens, pregnant women.
Transfats that poison the blood vessels
Ultra-bad fats (transfats) increase the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and reduce the amount of good cholesterol. Similarly, they negatively affect the inner part of the arteries and increase the narrowing of the arteries.
'Not only does it narrow the blood vessels, it also causes inflammation (a condition like a swollen wound) in the inner part,' says Dr. Regmi, 'When cholesterol accumulates, blood blockage occurs. Which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.' Not only this, transfats increase the risk of type-2 diabetes.
Due to processed foods prepared for commercial purposes, fat accumulation around the stomach, weight gain and metabolic syndrome are increasing. There is an increasing addiction to junk food among children these days. Obesity, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes are starting to appear at school age, says Dr. Vaidya.
Experts say that excessive trans fat intake by pregnant women can affect fetal development. “There is a possibility that the effects of trans fat can reach the newborn through breastfeeding,” says Dr. Vaidya, “and the risk can last for a generation.” It is not limited. It has a bad effect on the health of the unborn child.
The fried and packaged foods in the market are rich in trans fats. Doctors say that excessive consumption of which leads to fatal diseases at an early age and many people die.
Dr. Regmi claimed that a young woman died after eating Bhujia after watching an advertisement. Recalling an incident a few years ago, he said, "Amitabh Bachchan had promoted Bikaji Bhujia in a very attractive way on Sony TV. A young woman is an Amitabh fan. After consuming Bhujia for a long time, she had reached a state of heart failure."
According to Dr. Regmi, continuous consumption of Bhujia weakened the heart muscle, increased blood pressure and cholesterol. Due to which the heart could not pump properly.
Heart disease is becoming the leading cause of death in the world. The main risk factors are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol consumption. A study by the World Health Organization has shown that high intake of trans fats increases the risk of death by 34 percent.
Effects of diet on the brain
Experts say that brain diseases have started increasing among Nepali youth due to changing diets along with modern lifestyle. According to neurologist Dr. Sushil Mohan Bhattarai, serious neurological diseases including stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases have started appearing even in young people in their 30s due to trans fat-rich foods and unhealthy lifestyle.
Dr. Bhattarai, who works at a civil hospital, says, 'Earlier, paralysis and brain stroke were considered diseases that occurred after reaching the age of 70. But now it is seen in young people in their 30s.'
According to Dr. Bhattarai, after trans fats enter the body, they go directly to the cell membrane. Cell membranes are very important for maintaining the structure of the body and for communicating from one cell to another.
In order for the brain to implement what the hand thinks, there must be continuous communication between the nerves. But when trans fats start to mix with cell membranes, communication is disrupted and brain functions gradually deteriorate.
According to Dr. Bhattarai, trans fats reduce the amount of serotonin, the ‘happy chemical’ produced in the brain. Due to this, people in the modern era have started to tend to be more sad, negative and depressed. Not only that, but the ability to learn new things and memory decline.
‘Many college-going students come to the clinic with problems with concentration,’ says Dr. Bhattarai.
Similarly, according to Dr. Rajiv Jha, senior neurosurgeon at Bir Hospital, when the amount of fat in the body increases, the blood vessels that carry blood begin to clot. When fat accumulates in the veins, the blood flow is blocked, due to which the amount of oxygen that should reach the brain decreases.
According to Dr. Jha, if blood circulation is blocked in any part of the brain, the risk of stroke is high. ‘When too much fat accumulates, the vessels become narrow or stiff. That leads to brain hemorrhage or stroke,’ says Dr. Jha says.
According to Dr. Bhattarai, smoking is the number one risk factor for stroke in young people. In second place is unhealthy diet and foods high in trans fats.
‘Brain-related diseases are more common in urban youth and they smoke and eat foods high in trans fats from a young age,’ said Dr. Bhattarai.
Regarding the direct link between trans fat intake and stroke, Dr. Jha says, ‘Obesity and high blood pressure are the main problems in many patients who come to the hospital. Patients who have strokes at a young age often have an unhealthy lifestyle, excessive consumption of junk food, and lack of physical activity.’
Trans fat-rich foods in abundance in the market
Data from the Food Department shows that some of the foods produced in the market are very harmful to health. The department had monitored 67 prepared food items and the raw materials used in them in the last one year.
Of these, 16 percent, or 11, were found to contain trans fats exceeding the standard. In which the total fat content of the food item was more than two percent.
Manita Vaidya, Director General of the department, says, ‘During the monitoring, up to 15.5 percent trans fat was found. Which is very harmful to health.’
Eight puffs were tested during the monitoring. Four puffs had trans fat levels exceeding the standard. Four of the six vegetable ghees tested had high trans fat levels. Vaidya claimed that the products found to have trans fat levels exceeding the standard were returned to the market.
Dr. Anil says, ‘Finding 15.5 percent trans fat in food in the market is a poison for health. Eating such foods directly blocks the blood vessels of the heart and causes heart attacks.’
In the race to increase profits, hotels, restaurants and roadside shops are repeatedly using oil to make fast food such as pakodas, samosas, puris, chicken fries, sausages, etc., which produces trans fat. Deep frying destroys all the nutrients in the food and adds harmful fats to it.
“Most of the sweet shops in the market are using vegetable ghee and oil containing trans fats to make sweets. These dishes, which look smooth, shiny and durable, are actually poisonous to the heart and blood vessels,” said Dr. Vaidya.
Dr. Regmi adds, “Repeatedly heating oil is harmful. It is used Not only is it linked to disease, but it is also linked to the risk of cancer. It is advisable to avoid using vegetable ghee as much as possible.
Main causes of death Heart and stroke
The mortality rate from non-communicable diseases is increasing in Nepal. According to statistics, a large part of the total deaths are due to respiratory diseases, heart diseases, and strokes.
According to experts, unhealthy diet and increased consumption of processed foods are one of the main reasons for this.
According to the 2023 data of 'Nepal Burden of Disease', respiratory diseases are the number one cause of death in Nepal, heart disease is the second, and stroke is the third.
Our diet, behavior, and lifestyle have emerged as the main root causes of the spread of non-communicable diseases. Experts say that non-communicable diseases are increasing as a 'dormant' epidemic in developing countries in recent times. The mortality rate is also increasing in proportion to that. According to the latest statistics, 71 percent of deaths in Nepal are due to non-communicable diseases.
Public health expert Dr. Rita Thapa says that the increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases has become a matter of concern in recent years. According to Thapa, non-communicable diseases are increasing due to luxurious lifestyle and carelessness in eating, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
According to Dr. Thapa, the reasons are in our hands. There are things related to our lifestyle. Our behavior, junk food, lifestyle, use of tobacco products at a young age, and lack of exercise are the result.
‘Children at a young age consume tobacco products, junk food, and alcohol. Parents also give junk food to young children for lunch,’ Dr. Thapa clarified, saying, ‘The burden of non-communicable diseases is increasing due to lack of physical exertion and excessive stress.’
Is it right to call food ‘junk’? – Online Khabar
State silence, consumer health at risk
With the beginning of the 2000s, health agencies in various countries of the world began to implement regulations to control trans fats used in food. Denmark introduced stricter standards in 2003, while Switzerland banned trans fats in 2008.
Within the United States, New York banned trans fats in 2006 and California in 2008. Canada followed suit in 2008. These decisions led to very low trans fat levels in many foods and complete bans on many products.
Then, it was announced that heart attacks, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes in young people had decreased. Denmark announced that it had reduced the incidence of diseases in young people by 50 percent. But at the time, many countries found it difficult to believe what Denmark had announced.
The World Health Organization investigated the issue and declared Denmark a “trans fat-free” country.
In the United States and Canada, the amount of trans fat must be stated on the label of packaged foods sold.
The World Health Organization had launched a campaign with the goal of eliminating industrial trans fats from all countries of the world by 2023.
On 24 Magh 2078, the government passed the Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (2021-2025) for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. Under this plan, there is a policy to keep trans fats below 2 percent of the total fat content of food.
The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has implemented the standards since 25 Shrawan 2081 after the standards were approved by the Food Standards Committee. However, it has not been adequately monitored.
Consumer rights activists say that the state machinery is still not serious about trans fat-containing foods being sold openly in the market. Consumer rights activist Madhav Timalsina says that the problem will worsen unless the state comes up with a clear and strict policy. According to him, the problem extends from production to regulation.
‘First of all, there should be stricter restrictions on the import of raw materials. Trans fat testing should be made mandatory at customs and quarantine checkpoints. But it does not seem to be happening effectively,' said Timalsina.
Stating that merely setting standards is not enough, he says that strictness is needed in implementation.
'The policy is limited to paper. There is no will to implement it. The terror of trans fats in the market will not stop until a comprehensive awareness campaign is launched among the government, industrialists, importers and consumers,' said Timalsina.
Department spokesperson Bal Kumari Sharma claims that food products have been monitored regularly lately.
'Last November, we recalled the puff produced by Khajuri from the market after it was found to be substandard,' says Sharma. 'We found that it was safe to eat in subsequent monitoring.'
Lax regulation
The Food Hygiene and Quality Act, 2081, clearly provides for mandatory labeling of food and beverages. It is the responsibility of producers and sellers to provide consumers with accurate and clear information about the nature, quality, quantity, expiration date and potential risks of the product.
Similarly, the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS, has ensured the right of consumers to be informed about price, quality, results and purity, and has provided a legal basis to protect them from the sale and distribution of products that are harmful to human health.
But the law seems to be limited to paper. Unlabeled food products are found being sold openly in the market. Some products do not even mention the details of ingredients, production and expiry date. Due to this, consumers are directly at risk due to weak state monitoring.
The Advertisement (Regulation) Act, 2076 BS and the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS clearly prohibit misleading and false advertisements related to health and nutrition. Who is it? These legal provisions could have been enough to stop the aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods, sugary drinks, and industrial trans-fat products targeting children. But implementation is weak. The Food Technology and Quality Control Department and provincial-level laboratories have cited a lack of manpower as the reason for their inability to conduct effective monitoring.
The argument of limited technical capacity and weak laboratory infrastructure at the food department, provincial laboratories, and local levels has been repeated. The growing market for highly processed foods, the tendency to not follow labeling, and a weak monitoring system have made the situation more complicated. The regulatory mechanism is in disarray, increasing the health risks to consumers.
Health experts say that mandatory mention of trans-fat content on food labels, clear visual warnings, and targeted implementation strategies are necessary to control industrial trans-fat. They suggest that inspection and laboratory capacity should be strengthened by implementing tax policies and strict labeling at the provincial level.
Consumer rights activists in Timalsina say that there should be no delay in making market monitoring effective and banning the sale and promotion of high-trans-fat products in schools and communities.
Preparations to bring a multi-sectoral action plan
The government has said that preparations are underway to bring a new multi-sectoral action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. According to Health Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bikas Devkota, the action plan implemented from 2021 to 2025 has expired. Now, the process of formulating a new strategy for 2026 to 2030 has been initiated.
Stating that the main causes of non-communicable diseases lie outside the health sector, Dr. Devkota says that multi-sectoral cooperation is indispensable.
‘About 80 percent of the causes of non-communicable diseases are related to factors outside the health sector,’ says Dr. Devkota. ‘They are linked to other ministries and agencies on issues such as environmental pollution, chemical substances, waste management, and pesticides.’
According to him, although the previous action plan tried to include a multi-sectoral concept, sufficient success was not achieved in practical implementation.
‘The health sector alone cannot be held responsible; other sectors should also reduce the causes that negatively affect health through their policies, investments, and practices,’ he emphasized. He also said that a strategy will be prepared so that various ministries and stakeholders can clearly contribute through policies, resources and programs.
‘A plan is being prepared to incorporate the lessons learned from the previous period into a new strategy and address the weaknesses and challenges seen in implementation,’ says Dr. Devkota, adding, ‘A more effective and clear multi-sectoral approach is now needed to control non-communicable diseases.’
