THERE ARE fats and then there are fats with capital letters. The point is that not all fats are equal. Fat in food can be either 'good' or bad. The 'good' fats are said to have a positive effect on blood cholesterol. Nutrition scientists say that foods such as olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil and corn oil contain the 'good' fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
The 'bad' fats the saturated one on the other hand negatively affects cholesterol levels. But then, it appears that there are 'bad' fats and there are really bad fats with capital letters. The most scorned of the 'bad' fats are the trans fatty acid found in the most tasty foods such as fried stuff, salad dressing, candies, vegetable shortening, some margarines and baked goods. Now, how's that for killing the gastronomic delight?
NEW LABELLING
Early in July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a regulation requiring manufacturers to list trans fatty acid on the nutrition facts panel of food labels and dietary supplements. They expect all food manufacturers to comply by January 2006.
This new requirement is perhaps informed by the view of some nutritionists that no level of trans fatty acid in the diet is safe. The FDA, in fact, estimates that by inserting the trans fat information on labels between 600 and 1,200 cases of coronary heart disease will be prevented in three years and another 250 to 500 deaths will be prevented.
The FDA indicates that based on research, there is a 'direct, proven relationship between diets high in trans fat content and LDL ('bad') cholesterol level'. This is the link between trans fat and increased riks of coronary heart disease and death.
VEGETABLE OIL
So, read the food labels and check for trans fatty acids or trans fat. If the term trans fatty acid is not actually on the label, look in the ingredient list for 'shortening', 'partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil', or 'hydrogenated vegetable oil' potent signals that the food has
trans fat.
U.S. Nutritionist, Bruce Fife, in his book on 'The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil' notes that 'as a result of the tropical oils war, coconut and palm oils have disappeared from our food supply. The consequence is that we now consume far less of the health-promoting fatty acids found in coconut oil and much more of the health-destroying trans fatty acids found in hydrogenated soybean oil'.
Fife, who had participated in a nutrition seminar in Jamaica earlier this year, links the increase in the chronic lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, obesity and immune dysfunction to the increased consumption of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils.
He said that nearly 80 per cent of all vegetable oil used in the United States comes from soybeans and three quarters of that oil is hydrogenated, containing up to 50 per cent trans fatty acids.
So, it seems that this king of the 'bad' fat is just in every bite of food. Just how much of this trans fat is too much then? Well, the scientists don't know yet. The FDA states that they are currently doing research to determine this. All they can say for sure is that the less saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat in the diet, the better off one's health will be.
It seems like that plate of green salad is looking a little tastier...but that would be green salad without the creamy salad dressing because that is loaded with the king of 'bad' fats trans fatty acids.
What's your view on trans fatty acids? You can send our comments to eulalee.thompson
@gleanerjm.com. - PHOTOS BY JUNIOR DOWIE/Staff Photographer
