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10 Things About Trans Fat

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#1 of 1 Posted 9/28/06 1:35 PM

From Dayhawk.Kim Posts 21 Last 9/11/08
To All [Msg # 7.1 ]

10 Things About Trans Fat

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New York City wants to ban all trans fat from restaurants within 18 months.

Not all fatty acids are created the same. Some are beneficial in small amounts, while others, like artificial trans fat found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be harmful. So what's the fuss about trans fat?

1) Trans fat, also known as trans fatty acid, occurs naturally in some foods but in very small amounts. The number one source of trans fat today is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as shortenings, stick or hard margarine and food made with such oil.

2) Hydrogenation, the process of adding hydrogen atoms to vegetable oil, was developed by a chemist working for Proctor & Gamble in the early 20th Century to make candles, which they later marketed as shortening under "Crisco," or "crystalized cottonseed oil."

3) Like satured fats and dietary cholesterol, higher intake of trans fatty acids raise the level of "bad" cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein [LDL]. The "bad" cholesterol does what it implies; it raises the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

4) The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] now requires all food items and dietary supplements that have more than 0.5 grams of trans fat to label it. You may see a "zero gram" label showing 0 grams of trans fat but include it in the list of ingredients. That simply indicates less than 0.5 grams of trans fat.

5) Do we need to eat fat? Absolutely. The "body needs fat to function properly," the prestigious Mayo Clinic declares. But with anything, moderation is key. Too much of any fat can raise the risk of, uhm, obesity among other very nasty conditions.

6) Dietary supplements, such as energy and nutrition bars, may contain trans fat. Not all of them do. Some may legally claim "zero gram" if it has less than 0.5 g.

7) Monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and Omega-3 fatty acids are considered good fats -- in moderation.

8) How much fat? The U.S.D.A. recommends a maximum of 35 percent of your daily calories. So if you are on a 1,500-calorie diet, then no more than 525 calories, or about 58 grams, should be fat. That fat should consist of mostly good fatty acids.

9) The American Heart Association recommends an upper limit of one percent of your daily calories for trans fat.

10) Trans fat can be found in some of the same foods as saturated fat, such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

[Views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of CompuServe, Netscape, any government, agency, or news organization.]

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10 Things About Trans Fat

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