With New York recently banning them in restaurants, and Los Angeles looking to do the same, trans fats are quickly becoming infamous. And this time, the FDA is actually ahead of the game. As of January 2006, the FDA has required the trans fats content to be labeled in the Nutrition Fact panel of all food packaging. But what are trans fats, and why aren’t they good for us? While unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated and trans fats are not. According to the FDA and the American Heart Association, studies have shown that trans fats and saturated fats can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol while decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol, thus increasing the risk of heart disease.
What exactly are trans fats anyway?
Trans fats are formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, a process known as hydrogenation. These fats are chemically changed to turn liquid vegetable oils into solid fats that remain solid at room temperature. Although small amounts of trans fats can occur naturally in animal products, most are found in processed foods. Their main use is to increase the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.
What foods contain trans fats?
Trans fats can be found in shortenings, margarine, snack foods, peanut butter, crackers, and fried foods. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, a common form of trans fat, is used for frying and baking and turns up in a host of processed foods: cookies, pizza dough, crackers and pre-made blends like pancake mix.
How can you avoid trans fats?
- When eating out, ask which fats are being used in the preparation of your food. You’ll be happy to know that none of Down to Earth’s deli items contain any trans fats.
- When shopping for groceries, check the Nutrition Facts panel to compare foods and choose the options that are lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol such as fat free or 1percent dairy products, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetables. Down to Earth is working to reduce/eliminate all products from our stores which contain trans fats.
Choose alternative fats. Replace saturated and trans fats in your diet with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats do not raise LDL cholesterol levels and have health benefits when eaten in moderation. (Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and foods like nuts.)