Dangers of Hydrogenated Oil

I am not a nutritionist.  I am a wife and mom who wants to feed my husband and kiddos food that is real, nutritious, beneficial, helpful for their growth and energy, and tastes good!  In my search to be healthful in my cooking, I am learning....

So here is a synopsis of what I am learning about hydrogenated oil (and why I will be avoiding feeding it to my family as much as possible!)

Hydrogenated oil: what is it?

Hydrogenated oil is any kind of oil (i.e. corn, cottonseed, palm, coconut, soybean, safflower, etc.) that has undergone a heating and catalyzing process to "stabilize" the oil.  Heating used in this process exceeds 500°F, which creates toxic trans fat. In short, hydrogenation turns the oil into a semi-solid (partially hydrogenated) or solid (fully hydrogenated) state that also now contains trans fat.  Both types are bad for our bodies.  Food companies use hydrogenated oil because it is cheap and gives their products longer shelf life.

Why Hydrogenated Oil is Bad:

Excessively heating and chemically altering oil makes it poisonous to our bodies.  The definition of poison is: a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health.  What follows is a shortened list of harmful effects of hydrogenated oil, or trans fats from:
http://www.dldewey.com/columns/hydroilf.htm
and http://www.livestrong.com/article/318407-hydrogenated-oil-health-effects/

• Lowers the "good" HDL cholesterol
• Raises the "bad" LDL cholesterol
• Raises total serum cholesterol levels by 20-30 mg
• Increases non-insulin dependent type diabetes disease
• Decreases the response of the red blood cell to insulin, thus having a potentially undesirable effect in diabetics
• Increases blood insulin levels in humans in response to glucose load, increasing risk for diabetes
• As a nursing mother, this especially hit home for me: Lowers the amount of cream (volume) in milk from lactating females in all species studied, including humans, thus lowering the overall quality available to the infant 
• In pregnant women, trans fats can replace DHA, an important brain builder for the developing baby
• Correlates to low birth weight in human infants
• Affects immune response by lowering efficiency of B cell response and increasing proliferation of T cells
• Decreases levels of testosterone in male animals, increases level of abnormal sperm, and interferes with gestation in females
• Increased breast cancer in women
• Increased heart disease in men and women

Other Names for Hydrogenated Oil

• Trans Fat: damaged oil through excessive heat, light or air.  Another note about trans fat: food laws allow for products to be labeled "0 grams trans fat" if there is 0.5 grams of trans fat or less per serving.  Even if you are good about limiting yourself to a serving size of whatever it is you are eating the National Academy of Science says that there is no safe level of trans fat consumption.
• Mono-diglycerides 
• Interesterified (Stearate-Rich) oil
• High Oleic Oil: although not technically a hydrogenated oil, the seeds are genetically modified to alter the natural amount of essential fatty acids for the purpose of giving it a longer shelf life

List of some foods that use Hydrogenated Oil:

• Crisco, Margarine: they ARE hydrogenated oil
• Peanut Butter
• Baking mixes such as: Cakes, Brownies, Pancakes, Muffins, Cookies, Waffles
• Flavored creamers for coffee
• Salad dressings
• Tortillas (even the "healthy" multi-grain, fiber-full kind)
• Prepacked baked goods such as:  Oreos, Cookies, Snack crackers, Graham crackers, Granola bars
• Frozen prepared foods such as: Pizzas, Pastas, Meals
• Boxed cereals
• A high majority of anything in a package

What do I do now?:

Avoid prepackaged food!  The more I learn, the more I know that hydrogenated oil is just one of the poisonous things in the ingredients list to avoid in packaged food.   Food from scratch tastes way better anyway and if you make your own meals, you know exactly what you are eating and feeding your family!
Dr. Mary Enig is a researcher who has written many articles and books on good fat vs. bad fat, and debunking the common held view the low-fat is healthy.  You could check out her books.  I am planning on reading them!

"The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia"; Rebecca Wood is another great resource for learning about healthful whole foods, fats and oils

Until you learn more about what fats to use: (from "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia")

Bake with only saturated fats (because they are more stable and do not create trans fats when heated at baking temperatures): Butter, coconut oil, or palm oil

Sautee with olive oil at temperatures below 325°F 

Avoid deep fried foods

Avoid these oils: Butter substitutes, Canola oil, Coconut oil, Corn oil, Cottonseed oil, Fractionated Palm oil, Grapeseed oil, Margarine, Mustard oil,  Palm Kernel oil, Rice Bran oil Soy oil, and Tea Seed oil

Resources:

http://www.dldewey.com/columns/hydroilf.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/024694_oil_food_oils.html

http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html

http://www.mercola.com/ 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/318407-hydrogenated-oil-health-effects/
"The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia"; Rebecca Wood

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poison