Trans Fat On The Run

Trans Fat On The Run in General Healthcare

At first, it was thought trans fats were a healthier alternative to saturated fats. But it turns out, they’re worse. After trans fats showed up in everything from crackers, to baked foods, to frying oils, researchers and scientists found out in the early 90’s how bad trans fats are for your health.

Today, state lawmakers are considering banning trans fats in restaurants and food vendors all together. New York City has already imposed such a ban, reported MSNBC.

Some states, though, have been slow to pass anti-trans fat legislation. California, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Hawaii are all states that have proposed to ban trans fats.

But so far, none have enacted laws. Part of the reason is that the National Restaurant Association opposes legislation that bans trans fats in one swing. They don’t oppose getting rid of the harmful trans fats, but want to slowly phase them out. The group says bans aren’t flexible and impose unrealistic timetables, reported the Boston Globe.

“It’s not as easy as just dumping in a new oil,” said the Association’s director of nutrition policy, Sheila Weiss.

So why are trans fats so bad for your health?

When hydrogen is added to vegetable oils — an industrial process called hydrogenation — the result are trans fatty acids, which raise your “bad” cholesterol count. Even worse, trans fats decrease your “good” cholesterol count.

The “bad” cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. This kind of cholesterol builds up on the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow. This can cause high-blood pressure, heart disease, blood vessel inflammation, and increase risk of stroke and heart attack.

The “good” kind of cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. Unlike LDL, it’s good to have high levels of HDL in your blood. And according to the Mayo Clinic, the more HDL you have, the better. That’s because HDL basically cleans up any extra cholesterol in the blood — picking up excess and taking it back to the liver.

Because trans fats have this effect on your cholesterol, it’s definitely best to avoid them. Trans fats, however, are naturally occurring in some foods such as beef, lamb, and butter. But it’s not certain if the natural trans fats are as bad as the industrially produced trans fats.

That means you’ll eat some natural trans fats, but you should cut out the industrial trans fats from your diet altogether, recommends the American Heart Association.

How can you find out if foods contain industrial-produced trans fats? Check the ingredients label.

Any label that says “partially hydrogenated oil” means they have some trans fat, even if the nutritional facts say 0 grams of trans fat. In the U.S., a manufacturer is allowed to put 0 grams of trans fat on the label if there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.

Technically, only partially hydrogenated oils produce trans fats. Fully hydrogenated oils will not result in any trans fats. But even if a label reads “hydrogenated oils,” it most likely still has some trans fats, said the Mayo Clinic.

These days, manufacturers are trying reduce the amount of trans fat they put in foods. Manufacturers used to like trans fats because they better preserve foods, and have a longer grocery store shelf life. Trans fats also help some foods taste better.

But now that we know how bad trans fats are, food makers are starting to wise up.

Cutting out trans fats in your diet can greatly reduce your risk of serious health conditions. So check the nutritional facts and the ingredients to see if your foods contain any trans fats. Also, be aware that some restaurants still fry foods in trans fatty oils — foods such as French fries. Don’t be afraid to ask a restaurant if they use oils with trans fat. If they don’t know, try a restaurant that can tell you they’re trans fat free.

It’s important to go easy other fats, too. Oils and foods that contain saturated fat also increase your bad LDL cholesterol count.

The healthiest kinds of fat include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat because they have the least affect on your cholesterol, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Foods cooked with olive, peanut, or canola oils contain monounsaturated fat and are a healthier choice. Corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils are also better because they have high levels of polyunsaturated fat.

But all fats add calories, so it’s best to eat even healthier fats in moderation.

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