Heart disease, the number one cause of death in the United States for men and women has been attributed partially to the types of fats Americans consume. Saturated fats, such as animal fats, coconut and palm oil have been convicted as one of the bad guys; further research assuring that they will serve out a life sentence. But more recently trans fats have been convicted of a far worse crime. Banned in all New York City restaurants by the NYC Board of Health and with many cities following close behind, trans fats are sure to be handed the death sentence.
What are Trans Fats?
Trans fats are largely manmade fats, (although there are a small amount of natural trans fats in ruminant animals), and are a side effect of hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is a chemical process invented by a French chemist in the 1890?s, of adding hydrogens to a compound. The formation of trans fats in liquid oils was patented in 1902 by the scientist, Wilhelm Normann. In the early 1900?s, food manufacturers began adding hydrogens to unsaturated vegetable oils, transforming them to partially saturated( partially hydrogenated), changing their state from liquid to semi-solid. The end result was a more stable, flavorful product, a surefire economic boost for the food industry. Crisco was one of the products created out of this process, making its appearance on store shelves in 1911. Trans fat, a newly created chemical arrangement, was unfamiliar to our bodies and, though its metabolism was uncertain, did not appear to heighten concern. During World War ll, butter was rationed and ideas for an alternative product were churning in the minds of food chemists. Margarine was born and many Americans switched over to the “healthier spread”.
Are Trans Fats Worse than Saturated Fats?
In 1957, the American Heart Association warned the public of the link between saturated fats and coronary heart disease (CHD). But it wasn’t until 1984 that fast food restaurants, accustomed to using animal fats and tropical oils such as palm and coconut, responded by increasing their use of partially saturated fats. Though lowering dramatically the amount of saturated fats in the product, it dramatically increased the amount of trans fats. It was later determined by numerous scientific studies that trans fats were contributing to heart disease, and in 1993 the public pressured fast food restaurants to halt the use of partially hydrogenated oils in their fryers.
Scientific studies revealed that trans fats were even more troubling than saturated fats. While both raised LDL cholesterol levels, (the bad cholesterol) a known culprit in plaque formation, trans fats also lowered HDL (the good cholesterol). Studies have also recently shown a link between trans fats and diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.
Regulation of Trans Fats and FDA Recommendations
In 2006, the FDA mandated that food manufacturers reveal the trans fat contents of their products on food labels. The food industry scrambled to reduce their trans fat content because consumers were now able to see the amount of trans fats they were consuming. It is worth noting that the FDA allows the manufacturers to label a product trans fat- free if it contains 0.5 grams or less. The FDA recommendation is 1% or less of daily calories. If consuming a 2,000 calorie diet, only 2 grams of trans fats should be consumed. Be aware that this is a very small amount and can add up quickly. The consumer must be vigilant and read the label carefully to determine the exact amount ingested per day. Trans fat will soon be a fat from the past.
Kelli Swick B.S. is a Nutrition Consultant specializing in personalized weight loss through nutrition education and behavior modification. She can be reached at nutrika1@yahoo.com.