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steph
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Trans Fats 101
« Thread Started on Jul 21, 2005, 9:54am »

Trans Fats 101

What are trans fatty acids?
The majority of trans fats in the food supply are chemically altered, man made fats known as hydrogenated oils. During the hydrogenation process, less stable, unsaturated fatty acids are converted into unnatural trans fatty acids, thereby increasing shelf life and improving texture.

How are trans fatty acids created?
The hydrogenation process transforms vegetable oils from their natural liquid state into solid fats by heating them under pressure while adding hydrogen atoms. The result is a fat with a chemical configuration that is not found in nature — one that is rich in trans fatty acids. Some scientists speculate that the body cannot use trans fatty acids in the same way as natural fats.

Why is it beneficial to remove trans fatty acids from your diet?
Studies have shown that trans fatty acids raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while at the same time decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels, a net result that increases the risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, trans fatty acids have an even worse impact on cholesterol levels than diets high in butter, which contain saturated fat. One study in the New England Journal of Medicine found diets containing the most trans fatty acids yielded the worst cholesterol profiles. Another Harvard study, which tracked the dietary habits of 85,000 nurses, also concluded that there was an increase in the risk of heart disease among those with the highest dietary intake of trans fatty acids. Furthermore, a recent report by the Institute of Medicine (a branch of the National Academy of Sciences) reviewed the existing scientific research and concluded that there is no level of trans fats that is safe to consume. The Institute recommended that people should consume as little trans fat as possible to lower the chance of heart disease.

Where are trans fatty acids typically found?
Since they are inexpensive and shelf-stable, trans fat containing hydrogenated oils are found in significant quantities in many conventional, processed foods including: margarine, shortening, baked goods (pastries, pies, cookies, doughnuts), snack foods (chips, pretzels), fried foods, crackers, breakfast cereals and more.

How can one determine the amount of trans fat in foods?
The amount of trans fat in a particular product has been difficult to identify since labeling has not been required up until this point. Under new government regulations, however, all packaged foods must contain labeling information on trans fatty acids by January 1, 2006. It will be required that the amount of trans fat be listed in the Nutrition Facts panel directly under the line for saturated fat. This change is being made in order to give consumers better information that will help them make healthier choices about the foods they eat. According to the FDA, "Trans fats can no longer lurk, hidden, in our food choices."

Do trans fats occur naturally?
Small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats can be found in most meat and dairy products at levels of 2-5% of total fat. It is important to note that the chemical configuration of the naturally occurring trans fat is different than the chemical configuration of the man-made trans fat. In addition, naturally occurring trans fat has not been shown to have the same negative health consequences as the manufactured trans fat.

How can one determine whether or not trans fats are naturally occurring?
The way to determine whether or not the trans fats are naturally occurring is to look at the ingredients section of the label-if no hydrogenated oils are listed, then the trans fats are not added, but occur naturally. This is likely to be found at very small levels in products containing butter, milk, cheese, beef or lamb.

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