Reading Labels for Trans Fats
You may have noticed recently that many of the grocery items you purchase have the disclaimer “no trans fats.” What exactly is trans fat, where is it found and should you worry about consuming it?
Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K and carotenoids. We need it in our diets to supply fatty acids essential for growth and development. There are four kinds of fats: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats (also known as trans fatty acids).
Unsaturated fats (mono and poly), found in foods like peanut butter, avocadoes and olive oil are “healthy” fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat, found in whole-fat dairy, poultry skin and meat products, has the opposite effect on cholesterol levels and should therefore be consumed minimally. Trans fat, created by the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils to provide longer shelf-life in baked goods and longer fry-life for cooking oils, should be avoided as much as possible. Like saturated fat, trans fat also raises low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol. But, unlike saturated fat, trans fat lowers high density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol. This leads to a variety of health problems, including a reduced ability of arteries to dilate, making them more rigid and causing them to clog.
Foods that are often made with trans fat include commercially baked products, such as cookies, cakes, crackers and bread. Anything battered or fried is almost certain to contain trans fat. Trans fat is also found in pastries, donuts and pizza (dough). Be sure to check the labels of margarine, pie crusts and snack foods―even microwave popcorn! Also, be aware that restaurants often use trans fat cooking oils (liquid shortening) for frying.
Note that because trans fats do occur naturally in some foods (meat and dairy products), eliminating it completely from your diet would require such extraordinary changes that it could cause an inadequate intake of some nutrients and create health risks.
When reading the list of ingredients on food packages, look for the words “trans fat,” “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening.” Fully hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fat. However, the word “hydrogenated” without “partially” does not mean that the product does not contain trans fat.
You may notice that a product claims to have “no trans fat,” when in fact the ingredient label does include partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. This is because, according to FDA regulations, a product may claim no trans fats as long as it has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving size. Be sure to check serving sizes to figure out exactly how much trans fat you’re consuming.
The good news is that as of January 1, 2006, all food manufacturers have been required to list trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label, helping consumers to make better decisions.
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