Question

What is the hydrogenation of vegetable oils?
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Answer 1

Oils (such as vegetable, olive, sunflower) are liquids at room temperature. In the food industry, hydrogen is added to oils (in a process called hydrogenation) to make them more solid, or 'spreadable'.

Answer 2

Hydrogenation of vegetable oils is the process by which the commonly used vegetable oils  which are liquid at room temperature are converted into a more solid form or more (spreadable) form

Detailed answer -  Hydrogenation of vegetable oils is a process that has been practiced for many centuries. It is a process by which liquid unsaturated fat is turned into solid fat by adding hydrogen into it. This is done so to increase the shelf life and the overall cost of the product that is the oil.

As natural preservatives are much more costly they are not used and hydrogenation of oil is carried out

Advantages of hydrogenated oils

1. It helps in saving money  
2. increased shelf life
3. increase stability

Disadvantages of hydrogenated oils

1. It increases the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood that is Ldl (low- density lipoproteins)
2. Increase chance getting of obesity
3. causes Atherosclerosis that is nothing but deposition of fat in the arteries near the heart

Commonly used hydrogenated oils

• sunflower oil
• olive oil
• Dalda