Certain fats are necessary in our diets to give us energy, maintain good health and absorb essential nutrients such as carotenoids and Vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Fat should make up roughly 25 % of our daily calories. But not all fats are healthy. One type of fat, called Trans Fats, should be limited in the diet.
Why Trans Fats Should Be Avoided
Harvard School of Public Health researchers estimate that industrially produced trans fats in the diet cause 72,000 to 228,000 heart attacks and about 30,000 to 100,000 fatal heart attack deaths annually. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that, gram-for-gram, trans fats are more harmful than saturated fats.
Saturated fats and trans fats together should make up no more than 7 % of total daily calories.
Trans fats raise the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood and they lower the HDL (good cholesterol) in the blood. This increases the risk for heart disease.
The American Medical Association recommended a ban of all trans fats to be used in restaurants and bakeries.
The FDA estimates that the average American eats about 4.7 pounds of trans fats annually.
What Are Trans Fats?
Trans fats are formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (called hydrogenation). This makes the liquid vegetable oil solid and is used to extend the shelf life of certain foods.
Where Trans Fats Can Be Found
The majority of cakes, crackers, cookies, pies and bread (all of the goodies we like so much) have high levels of trans fats. Some animal products also have trans fats, although their levels are not as high. Surprisingly enough, many energy and nutrition bars also have trans fats.
In order to know how much trans fat is in a product, look at the Nutrition Facts Label. As of January 2006, the FDA has required all food manufacturers to list trans fat content on their product labels. They can be found listed with the saturated fat content.
Choosing Foods That Have Healthy Fats
Choose foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as vegetable oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. These aid in lowering LDL levels in the blood. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in foods such as fish (salmon and trout). These also aid in lowering LDL levels in the blood. When dining out, ask for foods that are not made with trans fats. Remember, we need certain fats in our diet. Make sure to choose the right kind.
Sources:
Health2You (h2u)
Food and Drug Administration www.fda.gov
American Medical Association www.ama-assn.org
