Trans Fats

Monday I blogged about High Fructose Corn Syrup, the first blog in a series of blogs about ingredients we should try to avoid and why. Today I'm going to focus on trans fats. What are trans fats? Trans fats are liquid vegetable oils that have been solidified by chemically altering them by adding hydrogen and can be found in many processed junk foods, frozen foods, margarines, french fries, donuts and other baked goods. Trans fats are generally used to enhance flavor, extend shelf life of packaged foods, and give a more solid texture to baked and fried foods. They have been linked to heart disease, increase in bad (LDL) cholesterol and decrease of good (HDL) cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer. As of January 2006 the FDA has required all packaged foods to list their trans fat content on their nutrition label. This is a great step forward, however a food can be labeled as "trans fat free" if it contains less than half a gram per serving so it's important to read the ingredient list. Avoid foods that contain any kind of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. A small amount of natural trans fats can be found in meat and dairy, however the man made form is much worse for you. According the the University of Maryland Medical Center website, "The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries. Artificial trans fats do the same thing in our bodies that bacon grease does to kitchen sinks. Over time, they can "clog the pipes" that feed the heart and brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke risk." There is a national movement to get trans fats ban which you can read about here. Coming up next blog... artificial flavorings and colorings.