What is trans fat and why should
I avoid it?
I want to grab your attention * in a BIG way* to this
important issue so I'm inserting the following single
illustration at the beginning of this FAQ. Please read
on --- and keep reading to the end. It's worth your
time!!
Here is a most disturbing fact
dealing with one particular trans fat ......
Margarine (one of the main trans
fats used today) is but ONE MOLECULE away from being
PLASTIC…
This fact alone is enough to have us avoid margarine
for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this
means that hydrogen is added, changing the molecular
structure of the substance).
You can try this yourself: Purchase
a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or
shaded area of your yard. Within a couple of days
you will note something interesting. No flies, not
even those pesky fruit flies, will go near it (that
should tell you something)…it does not rot or
smell differently…because it has no nutritional
value, nothing will grow on it…even those teeny
weeny micro-organisms will not find a home to grow.
WHY? Because it is nearly
plastic.
Would you melt your Tupperware
and spread that on your toast?
So begins the important question
---
Basically, trans fat is made
when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil—a
process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases
the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing
these fats. Trans fat means “transformed from
their natural state”. The process to create
trans fats is to heat vegetable oil to a high temperature
and then blast it with hydrogen gas thus forming a
more stable oil. This process creates a “fat”
that the body cannot process. The reason the food
industry uses it so much is because it makes processed
foods have a much longer shelf life.
Trans fat can be found in vegetable
shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack
foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially
hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority
of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn
liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard
margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally,
primarily in dairy products, some meat, and other
animal-based foods.
Trans fat, like saturated fat
and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol
that increases your risk for Coronary Heart Disease.
Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much
saturated fat as trans fat in their diets.
Although saturated fat is the
main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and
dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.
Scientific evidence shows that
consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, and dietary
cholesterol raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL),
or "bad" cholesterol, levels, which increases
the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). According
to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of
The National Insitututes of Health, more than 12.5
million Americans have CHD, and more than 500,000
die each year. That makes CHD one of the leading causes
of death in the United States.
Everyone should be aware of
the risk posed by consuming too much saturated fat,
trans fat, and cholesterol. But what is trans fat,
and how can you limit the amount of this fat in your
diet?
Are All Fats the Same?
Simply put: No. Fat is a major
source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption
of vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. Both
animal and plant derived food products contain fat,
and when eaten in moderation, fat is important for
proper growth, development, and maintenance of good
health. As a food ingredient, fat provides taste,
consistency, and stability and helps you feel full.
In addition, parents should be aware that fats are
an especially important source of calories and nutrients
for infants and toddlers (up to 2 years of age), who
have the highest energy needs per unit of body weight
of any age group.
While unsaturated fats (monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated) are beneficial when consumed
in moderation, saturated and trans fats are not. Saturated
fat and trans fat raise LDL cholesterol levels in
the blood. Dietary cholesterol also raises LDL cholesterol
and may contribute to heart disease even without raising
LDL. Therefore, it is advisable to choose foods low
in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol as part
of a healthy diet.
When we compare the biological
effects of the trans fatty acids versus the saturated
fatty acids, we see that:
(1.) saturated fat has been
described as a bad fat, although when too much is
eaten the body converts it to monounsaturated fat,
a good fat. This does not happen with trans fat.
(2.) saturated fatty acids raise
HDL cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol, whereas
the trans fatty acids lower HDL cholesterol;
(3.) saturated fatty acids lower
the blood levels of the atherogenic lipoprotein [a],
whereas trans fatty acids raise the blood levels of
lipoprotein [a];
(4.) saturated fatty acids conserve
the good omega-3 fatty acids, whereas trans fatty
acids cause the tissues to lose these omega-3 fatty
acids;
(5.) saturated fatty acids do
not inhibit insulin binding, whereas trans fatty acids
do inhibit insulin binding (see our page on diabetes);
(6.) saturated fatty acids do
not increase C-reactive protein, but trans fatty acids
do increase C-reactive protein causing arterial inflammation;
(7.) saturated fatty acids are
the normal fatty acids made by the body, and they
do not interfere with enzyme functions such as the
delta-6-desaturase, whereas trans fatty acids are
not made by the body, and they interfere with many
enzyme functions such as delta-6-desaturase; and
(8.) some saturated fatty acids
are used by the body to fight viruses, bacteria, and
protozoa, and they support the immune system, whereas
trans fatty acids interfere with the function of the
immune system.
What Can You Do About Saturated
Fat, Trans Fat, and Cholesterol?
When comparing foods, look at
the Nutrition Facts panel, and choose the food with
the lower amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, and
cholesterol. Health experts recommend that you keep
your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally
adequate diet. However, these experts recognize that
eliminating these three components entirely from your
diet is not practical because they are unavoidable
in ordinary diets.
Where Can You Find Trans
Fat on the Food Label?
The FDA acted to provide better
information to consumers on trans fats. On July 9,
2003, the FDA published a final rule requiring manufacturers
to list trans fatty acids, or trans fat, on the Nutrition
Facts panel of conventional foods and some dietary
supplements. With this rule, consumers have additional
information to make healthier food choices that could
lower their intake of trans fat as part of a heart-healthy
diet. Here are the highlights of the Final Rule:
This final rule is the first
significant change to the Nutrition Facts panel since
the regulations implementing the Nutrition Labeling
and Education Act were finalized in 1993. This final
rule requires manufacturers of conventional foods
and some dietary supplements to list trans fat on
a separate line, immediately under saturated fat on
the nutrition label.
Although some food products
already have trans fat on the label, food manufacturers
have until January 2006 to list it on all their products.
The exciting part of this action
by the FDA is that “trans fat can no longer
lurk hidden in our food choices”.
So – to keep your intake of saturated fat, trans
fat, and cholesterol LOW:
• Look at the Nutrition
Facts panel when comparing products. Choose foods
low in the combined amount of saturated and trans
fat and low in cholesterol as part of a nutritionally
adequate diet.
• Substitute alternative
fats that are higher in mono- and polyunsaturated
fats like olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn
oil, and sunflower oil.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* *
In winding up this FAQ, please
read these facts dealing simply with choosing butter
over margarine and let your decision make a difference
in your life.
BUTTER VS MARGARINE
This is interesting ----- Do
you know the difference between margarine and butter?
Both have the same amount of
calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats
at 8 grams compared to 5 grams in margarine.
According to a recent Harvard
Medical Study, eating margarine increased heart disease
in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter.
Eating butter increases the
absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits. Margarine only
has a few, mainly because they are added!
Butter taste much better than
margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other
foods.
Butter has been around for centuries
where margarine has been around for less than 100
years.
Margarine is very high in trans
fatty acids ---
It triples the risk of coronary heart disease…
Margarine increases total cholesterol
and LDL (bad cholesterol)
Margarine lowers HDL cholesterol
(good cholesterol)
Margarine increases the risk of cancers by up to five
fold…
Margarine lowers quality of
breast milk…
Margarine decreases immune response…
Margarine decreases insulin response…
