NUCCA News - Trans Fats

TRANS FATS: AVOIDING THE FOODS THAT HAVE IT

Submitted by Greg Arnold, August 28, 2003, Abstracted from “A Balancing Act” in the Chicago Tribune August 20, 2003, Section 7 p. 3

The old adage “if it seem too good to be true, it probably is” has once again applied to something Americans have grown to love… trans fat. The emergence of hydrogenated oils onto the nutrition scene a few years ago in the form of margarine and other heart-unhealthy snacks has now been set on its heels by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By January 1, 2006, the FDA has ordered food manufacturers to have all foods that contain trans fatty acids to say so on their food labels (1). Some companies have already followed suit, such as Frito-Lay, which has just put out trans-fat-free versions of some of its snacks.

For the FDA to put down this kind of mandate, trans fats must truly pose a formidable health threat. By adding hydrogen to the fat, making it more stable (margarine vs. butter) and lasting longer before turning rancid, trans fatty acids put a larger strain on the digestive system because it requires more energy by the body to digest. Despite not being around for very long, the taste trans fats gives to food has cause it to find its into many foods like french fries, fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. Typical french fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids, many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 to 50 percent trans fatty acids and doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids (2).

The danger of trans fatty acids not only comes from its ability to increase the ‘bad’ cholesterol in our bodies (LDL), but its ability to alter the enzyme (delta-6 desaturase) that metabolizes the healthy fats in our body and raises our ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) (3). Finally, trans fat has been shown to reduce blood vessel function by 30 percent (4).

The FDA has taken these steps because, after the trans fats are made visible to the public on food labels in 2006, they expect to see 600-1,200 fewer cases of heart disease with 200-500 fewer deaths from heart disease each year. Some tips for avoiding trans fats include:

Use naturally occurring, unhydrogenated oil (canola, olive oil)

Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil instead of hydrogenated oil or saturated fat.

Eat the bare minimum amounts of french fries, doughnuts, cookies, and crackers. It is best to quite these foods completely, but most Americans would find that practically impossible.

References:

1. Food and Drug Administration Website. www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/transfat

2. Mercola website, “Trans-Fat: What Exactly is it, and Why is it so Dangerous?” Newsletter # 447

3. Larqué E. Dietary Trans Fatty Acids Alter the Compositions of Microsomes and Mitochondria and the Activities of Microsome 6-Fatty Acid Desaturase and Glucose-6-Phosphatase in Livers of Pregnant Rats. Journal of Nutrition 2003; 133: 2526-2531.

4. Dr. Mercola Website. “Trans Fat Much Worse for You Than Saturated Fat” Newsletter # 239