Trans Fats: A Good Idea Gone Bad
February 10, 2010
Trans fats were created to mimic saturated fats' ability to maintain a product's solid form at room temperature without the adverse health affects of saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in meats and oils, such as palm and coconut oil. They are known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, therefore being associated with cardiovascular disease. It was a belief that if an alternative was made, it could be used without the health issues that are caused by saturated fats. Saturated fats remain solid at room temperature due to the saturation of hydrogen atoms within their molecular structure. Unsaturated fats are not fully saturated with hydrogen atoms and maintain a liquid form at room temperature. Trans fats were created by man adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated fat. This gives it the same baking characteristics as a saturated fat. Trans fats help prepackaged deserts or snacks to keep their shape while on grocery store shelves. Trans fats also increase shelf life, so the food item can stay on the shelf longer before expiring. Trans fats appear on the nutrition label as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oil. The problem is that unsaturated fats, such as canola oil, olive oil, and corn oil have a molecular structure of “cis,” which is recognized and used by the body. Trans fats have a “trans” structure, which is not used naturally by the body and has actually been shown to increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol. This increases the risk for heart attack and stroke more than saturated fats. Some studies also suggest that trans fats can increase the likelihood of cancer and type II diabetes.
Trans fats can be found in prepackaged baked goods, peanut butter, fast food restaurant items, fried foods, margarine, microwave popcorn, and numerous others products. The FDA has required that trans fats be listed on all nutrition labels (excluding fast food items) as of January 1, 2006. There is still a problem. A product can boast that it has zero trans fats but still have half a gram of trans fats per serving. So what can you do? Read labels and look for “hydrogenated” or partially hydrogenated” ingredients. These are the trans fats. Look at serving sizes as well. If there are several servings in one container, it is very easy to compound trans fats without realizing it. It is good to limit the amount saturated fats in your diet as well. A diet consisting of plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean (preferably organic) meats goes a long way toward optimal health. You can have confidence in Ripp’s Natural Market, because we do not carry products with trans fats.
