What is "Trans-fat"?

A recent article in Boston News highlighted the fact that the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fatty acids each year. Five pounds a year may not seem so bad initially, but what are the trans fatty acids composed of? And how do they affect our health?

In short, Trans fat is produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, a.k.a. hydrogenation. This process increases shelf life and flavor stability. It also is similar to saturated fat because it raises the LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Trans fat is found in vegetable shortening, margarine, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods. For the average American, we eat pretty much all of this stuff on a regular basis! Does this mean we need to drastically change our diets in avoidance of Trans fats? It probably wouldn't hurt, although its not necessarily a requirement. Trans fat can also occur in some animal products such as butter, milk, cheese, beef and lamb.

Indeed, Trans fat should not be entirely eliminated from the diet because many foods which contain trans fats also contain essential nutrients. The amount of trans fat should of course be lowered, however.

In order to keep the consumption of trans fat lows, one needs to make a conscious decision to choose foods that are already naturally low in fat. Snack foods for example, are often high in trans fat because they need to have a long shelf life in order for grocers to continue to sell and make a profit, as well as sell these products at a low price. The natural snack foods are often those that are cheap, filling, and do not decay quickly.

These snack foods are often tasty; however, there are other snack foods that are much healthier and just as filling.
It is recommended to eat 3-5 servings of fruit each day. While many of us do not meet that goal, by simply replacing that serving of potato chips or crackers with an apple, you are one step closer to reducing your intake of trans fats.
Also, check the nutritional labels. There are plenty of snack foods such as low-fat or fat free pudding and jello that also make great snack foods.

Mixed nuts or peanuts are also healthy snacks that may be high in polyunsaturated fats but they have many health benefits and the polyunsaturated fats do not raise the LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

Consumers are also encouraged to choose fish. Fish are naturally lower in saturated fat than other animal products such as red meat and dairy products. Mackerel, sardines, salmon and other fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which are actually quite good for you and may even protect against heart disease.

Limiting foods high in cholesterol is also necessary. Egg yolks, organ meats, and full-fat dairy products each contain high proportions of cholesterol. Foods low in saturated fat such as fat free or 1% dairy products, lean meats, fish, whole grain foods, fruit and vegetables are also a better choice than fatty foods.

It is also important to remember that you are not choosing these foods because you don't want to be fat. That may be true; however, it is more than just physical appearance one must consider. Choosing healthy foods are for better health overall. By protecting yourself from future health problems (and medical bills) you are living wisely and reducing the risk caused by the consummation of fatty foods.

Also, it is important to realize that many dietary supplements contain trans fat as well. Vegetable oil tends to be less threatening than other oil products but once it is hydrogenated, it is a high source of trans fat.

The tricky side of things comes with the fact that there is no current percent daily value listed with trans fat. This is because the percent DV focuses on saturated fats instead. While the FDA will most likely come up with a more accurate daily percentage for trans fat, for now the calculations must be done on a gram to gram basis.

The main health risks associated with trans fat includes heart disease by the raising of the low density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol.

It is also important to note that while it may seem butter would be the healthier choice, margarine is still lower in saturated and combined trans fat than butter. Soft or liquid margarine contain the lowest amounts of saturated fats, however nonstick cooking spray may be available as a fat free way to "grease" the pan for those brownies.

Basically, trans fats are much like saturated in the health risks they cause. It is important to consider the amount of trans fat you consume daily, particularly in snack foods. It is also easy to consume large amounts of trans fats without even realizing it, thereby raising your level of cholesterol and increasing the risk of heart disease.