Why is shortening bad

The good news is that in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires all food labels to list the amount of trans fat.

Because shorteners tend to be made with highly processed vegetable fats, using shortening replacements is a smart idea. Due to growing concerns over consumption of these fats, shortening alternatives are becoming more widely available. Josh Axe is on a mission to provide you and your family with the highest quality nutrition tips and healthy recipes in the world What Is Shortening?

More Nutrition Dr. Axe on Facebook Dr. Axe on Twitter 2 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr. Read More. Axe on Twitter 13 Dr. Axe on Twitter 5 Dr. Axe on Facebook 7 Dr. Axe on Twitter 1 Dr. Are there really foods that make you taller and foods that make Healthy unsaturated fats are beneficial to our health for a number of reasons, including helping us to control cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and prevent abnormal heart rhythms.

We primarily find these healthy fats in the oils that come from vegetables and fish. Sources of these fats include:. Because shortening is made from the healthy fats and oils our bodies need for optimum health, you can use it for any recipe that calls for it. The main thing to remember, like with all good things, is that you should use it in moderation.

Moderation is one of the main keys to eating healthy. This involves everything from portion control, to choosing to eat a certain kind of food on occasion.

Studies show that rather than completely cutting a favorite food from your diet you should eat a smaller portion of it — or choose to eat it less frequently. There are different methods for finding the right moderation in eating for you and your family, so be sure to work through that to determine when you should and should not use shortening in your recipes.

Nearly every baked good requires some kind of fat to keep the taste, moisture, and texture desired. These fats are usually oils and shortening, or butter — and all of them have different uses. Sometimes, you can substitute butter or applesauce for oil. Consider using olive oil, which has absolutely no trans fats, or using applesauce for other recipes, if possible.

This essential vitamin plays a role in the production of red blood cells and aids your body in making proper use of vitamin K. One tablespoon of vegetable shortening provides 6. That translates to about 8 percent of the 90 micrograms of vitamin K women need each day and about 6 percent of the micrograms men need on a daily basis. Vitamin K is most notable for it's role in properly clotting blood, but it has a small part in keeping bones healthy, as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

A vitamin K deficiency can cause excessive bleeding, but this type of deficiency is quite rare in the United States. A tablespoon of vegetable shortening contains According to the Harvard School of Public Health, unsaturated fats are good for your heart because they help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Making the majority of your fat intake in the form of unsaturated fats is recommended for protecting the health of your heart.

Despite the vitamin E, vitamin K and heart-healthy unsaturated fat content of vegetable shortening, it has two major nutritional drawbacks.