Issues With Trans Fats
The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2010 and the Institute of Medicine recommend that
individuals keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.1, 2
There are two main sources of dietary trans fatty acids (trans fat). Naturally
occurring trans fat is found in small amounts in the fatty parts of meat and
dairy products. Artificial trans fat comes from foods that contain partially
hydrogenated oil and is formed when hydrogen is added to liquid oil turning it
into solid fat. Often food manufacturers use artificial trans fat in food
products because it is inexpensive and it increases the food’s shelf life,
stability, and texture.
Consuming trans fat increases
low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol. This risk factor
contributes to the leading cause of death in the U.S. – coronary heart disease
(CHD).1 Trans fat may also have other adverse health effects like
decreasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol.
Further reducing trans fat consumption by avoiding artificial trans fat could
prevent 10,000-20,000 heart attacks and 3,000-7,000 coronary heart disease
deaths each year in the U.S.3
Trans fat intake has significantly
decreased in the US as a result of efforts to increase awareness of its health
effects, Nutrition Facts label changes, industry efforts to voluntarily
reformulate foods, and some state and local governments’ restriction of its use
in restaurants and other food service outlets. However, on average Americans
still consume 1.3 grams (0.6% of energy) of artificial trans fat each day.4
Major contributors to artificial trans fat intake include fried items, savory
snacks (like microwave popcorn), frozen pizzas, cake, cookies, pie, margarines
and spreads, ready-to-use frosting, and coffee creamers. The amount of trans
fat can vary among similar food categories.
The amount of trans fat can vary within
food categories4
Food category
|
Range of trans fat per serving (g)
|
Margarine and spreads
|
0.0-3.0 g
|
Cookies
|
0.0-3.5 g
|
Frozen pies
|
0.0-4.5 g
|
Frozen pizza
|
0.0-5.0 g
|
Savory Snacks
|
0.0-7.0 g
|
What
Can Be Done To Rduce Artificial Trans Fat
o
Choose products with 0 grams trans fat.
o
Check the Ingredient List to see if there is any
partially hydrogenated oil in the product.
o
Because products containing less than 0.5 grams
of trans fat per serving can be labeled as having 0 grams trans fat, checking
the Ingredient List is important to avoid all artificial trans fat.
·
When choosing foods low in trans fat, make sure
they are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol: look for foods with 5% of
the Daily Value or less. Foods with 20% or more of the Daily Value of these two
components are high.
·
Use monounsaturated fat (canola and olive oil)
and polyunsaturated fat (soybean, corn, and sunflower oil) in recipes that call
for fat.
·
A good way to avoid trans fat is to eat a
balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of
protein, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
·
Ask your grocer to stock products free of
“partially hydrogenated oil” and “shortening”.
·
Talk with your favorite restaurant establishment
about current use of partially hydrogenated oils or changing to a menu that is
100% free of “partially hydrogenated oil” and “shortening”.
·
Choose restaurants that do not use partially
hydrogenated oil to prepare food.