TRANS FATTY ACIDS, also known as trans fats, are formed when vege-table oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. This process is called hydro-genation and involves bubbling a gas called hydrogen into various vegetable oils like corn, cottonseed or soybean oil. Because of this, trans fats are also referred to as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats.
Many food companies use trans fats extensively instead of oil because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve flavour and texture.
TRANS FATS LOCATION
They are found in many other foods besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about 40 per cent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 to 50 per cent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 to 40 per cent trans fatty acids.
While bakery items and fried foods are obvious sources of trans fat, many other processed foods, such as cereals and waffles, can also contain trans fat. One way to determine the presence of trans fat in a food is to read the ingredient label and look for shortening, hydro-genated or partially hydro-genated oil. The higher up on the list these ingredients appear, the more trans fat is present in the food.
One problem with trying to avoid trans fat was that for a long time food companies were not required to list on nutrition labels how much trans fat was in the food you were eating. Finally, in a step in the right direction, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States now requires food manufacturers to list trans fat on nutrition facts labels. I hope the same regulation will be applied to Jamaican food manufacturers.
POTENTIAL DANGERS
Health authorities like the World Health Organisation have expressed major concern over the levels of trans fat in the modern diet. Medical research has shown that trans fats have a host of negative effects on health.
On average, Americans con-sume about five grams of trans fat per day, according to a 1999 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. While that may sound tiny, research has linked even small amounts of trans fat to an increased risk of heart disease.
A 1994 Harvard University study found more than twice the risk of heart attacks among those who ate partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fat, compared with those who consumed little trans fat.
Consuming trans fats will:
Increase the levels of bad cholesterol and promote heart disease and circulatory disorders.
Increase the occurrence of several cancers.
Depress the body's immune system.
Decrease testosterone levels in men and increase abnormal sperm formation.
Interfere with pregnancy and are related to low birth weight babies, and poor quality breast milk.
Worsen diabetes, hypertension and obesity by increasing insulin resistance.
Displace healthy fats, for example, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils, preventing them from performing their normal function.
Disturb liver function.
In fact, several large studies in the United States and elsewhere also show a strong link between premature death and consumption of foods high in trans fatty acids. It is calculated that trans fatty acids are responsible for about 30,000 premature deaths per year in the U.S.
A few food companies like Lipton, Cadbury and Nestle have taken steps to eliminate trans fat from some of their products. Recently a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. against Nabisco, the Kraft Foods company that makes Oreo cookies, seeking a ban on the sale of Oreo cookies because they contain trans fat, making them dangerous to eat.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Have a balanced diet, high in fruits, vegetables and healthy low-fat protein.
Reduce your intake of processed fast foods, fried foods, cookies, cakes and crackers.
Carefully read the labels of processed foods and avoid those containing mostly hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
Cook primarily with olive oil, coconut oil or canola oil.
Supplement your diet with fibre, healthy omega-3 fats from fish oil and lots of anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals and herbs, These will help to reduce the negative impact of trans fats.
Trans fat content of margarine, shortening and vegetable oils
FOOD TRANS FAT CONTENT (%)
Stick margarine 31
Tub margarine 17
Diet margarine 18
Vegetable oil-shortening 20
Vegetable salad dressing 13
Email Dr. Tony Vendryes at Vendryes@mac.com, or visit our website at www.anounceofprevention.org. You may also listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER106FM on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
