Trans fat - Hidden dangers of 'healthy' food
published: Thursday | October 2, 2003

By Jessica McCurdy-Crooks, Contributor

RECENTLY THE United States Food & Drug Administration issued a warning that by January 1, 2006, food manufacturers would be forced to include information on the addition of trans fat in their products. Trans fat, an artery-clogging substance, is found in many products and is used to improve the shelf life of food. Studies completed by many agencies have shown that trans fat is as good for us as saturated fats. Dr. Walter Willet, Harvard School of Public Health, refers to trans fat as "a secret killer".

It is believed that trans fat raises the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, thus increasing the risk of heart attacks. Trans fat is said to have the same unhealthy effects as saturated fat, including raising the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, while lowering good cholesterol (HDL). Trans fat is also seen as another type of fatty acid which adds calories to meals.

Trans fat is formed during the process of hydrogenation, when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (liquid), turning it into a more solid state. This is done for a number of reasons ­ to improve flavour, reduce the cost of production, and extend shelf life. Some foods containing trans fat are margarines, microwaved popcorn and fried foods such as french fries.

The best way to reduce consumption of trans fat is to avoid foods containing hydrogenated oil, such as:

Pastries

Fried foods

Some types of cereal and waffles

Stick margarine and vegetable shortening

It's also important to read the ingredients on product labels. While most labels do not include trans fat, you can tell that it's there if the product contains shortening or partially- hydrogenated oil.

In the meantime, in an article published at http://www. supermarketguru.com, scientists are working to determine whether naturally-produced trans fat in animal food has the same artery clogging effects as those found in processed food. The consensus is, however, as with all other types of health decisions, that any type of fat should be consumed in moderation.

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