How to Keep Trans Fats Under Control

[coolwater]

From here (http://health.msn.com/centers/cholesterol/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100124288&GT1=7892)
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How to Keep Trans Fats Under Control
by Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.

Food labels now list the amount of trans fat in foods. Consumers, however, need to develop some strategies to use this new information effectively.

The amount of trans fat per serving is listed on food labels underneath total fat, along with other types of fat, like saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. Although trans fat occurs naturally in some animal fat, most trans fats in the American diet come from partially hydrogenated oils. These are vegetable oils that have hydrogen forced into their chemical structure to give them a longer shelf life before spoiling. Because hydrogenated oils harden, they can be used in margarine or shortening. Almost a third of the fat in these products is trans fat.

Many consumers are aware that trans fat is unhealthy, but researchers don't yet agree on what amount is safe. There is no recommended limit or Daily Value (DV) for trans fat. For now, the message from nutrition experts is to get as little as you can while eating a balanced diet. You shouldn't try to eat zero trans fat, because you would have to avoid foods that provide healthful nutrients and only trace amounts of trans fat.

In some ways, trans fat has the same effect as saturated fat. Trans fat raises blood levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol just like saturated fat. Although some researchers suggest that trans fat reduces good ("HDL") cholesterol, supporting evidence is inconsistent. Both saturated fat and trans fat may promote cancer development, too. But there is insufficient evidence to draw that conclusion yet.

When you try to reduce trans fat in your diet, you should consider both the amount of trans fat and saturated fat in your food choices. The federal government estimates that adult Americans consume on average about 5.8 grams of trans fat a day (about 2.6 percent of our calories). We consume four to five times as much saturated fat.

One simple strategy to lower your consumption of trans fat and saturated fat is to add the amounts listed for both on one product and compare that total against the totals of other products. You can even compare this total to the DV for saturated fat to see roughly whether it's high or low.

Comparing this total to a benchmark designed for saturated fat alone may seem too strict. But the DV for saturated fat is high for two reasons. It overestimates the amount needed by people who should have less than 1,800 calories per day because they are sedentary or overweight. It also overestimates how much the average person with high blood cholesterol should have. Their saturated fat should be below seven percent of their calorie total.

Checking the combined total of saturated and trans fat is an important health strategy because food manufacturers are experimenting with a wide range of new fats to replace partially hydrogenated oils. Some of these oils may reduce trans fat, but since they contain higher levels of saturated fat, there is no overall improvement.

The old suggestion to check the list of ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils to avoid trans fat is now less accurate advice than before and unnecessary. Plant breeding techniques have developed variations on common oils that contain fewer polyunsaturated fats, which require less hydrogenation to remain stable. Other fats may be blends of oils with varying characteristics. Since trace amounts of partially hydrogenated oils may be used to stabilize a product, don’t rule out a food simply because you see a hydrogenated oil listed.

If there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in a standard serving of a product, the label can declare that the trans fat content is zero, or the product is "not a significant source." But remember, if you eat three times the serving size of one of these products, you could get up to 1.4 grams of trans fat, an amount you may not want. Even when you select healthier food choices, don’t forget that portion size matters.

Provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.

[Citruskiss]

I've often found that serving sizes seem to have been manipulated to ensure the trans fat can be listed as zero.

I don't buy anything with trans fats, but my stepkids still like their cookies, crackers and so on. I do my darndest to avoid trans fats - and *yes* I do avoid purchasing products with the word "hydrogenated" in the ingredients list, regardless of the "ZERO Trans Fats" promoted on the front of the packaging.

I didn't like this article - I got the impression it was some kind of PR work for big grocery manufacturers - the idea that one shouldn't try to avoid hydrogenated oils because they'd "miss out" on some kind of healthy ingredient is just ridiculous to me. It's like they're saying, "Don't worry about the 'hydrogenated' in the ingredients list because we said so".

Odd.

I guess it's because lots of us have wised up to the trick of "Zero Trans Fats" and realized we still have to check ingredients and check serving size.

Hmmpph. :rolleyes:

[arc]

You shouldn't try to eat zero trans fat, because you would have to avoid foods that provide healthful nutrients and only trace amounts of trans fat.

This is a pretty bold statement. What food group are we missing out on if we don't eat transfats? Donuts? French fries? Cookies?

There is a small amount of natural transfat in beef, but it's different from the manufactured stuff. Maybe that's what they mean.

[PlayDoh]

sigh..i cannot keep all this fat crap straight. coconut oil is supposed to be good fat but it is almost all sat fat?

[coolwater]

I don't agree with the article's stance on saturated fat, there's nothing wrong with saturated fat in my opinion. But at least it's looking as if the mainstream 'health media' (?) is acknowledging certain things, namely that transfats are bad. They're still not fond of fat, but they're starting to recognize that some may be healthier than others etc. They're slooooowly gettin' there, but looks like the wheels are finally starting to turn...

[LC FP]

coconut oil is supposed to be good fat but it is almost all sat fat?

Coconut oil I believe is about 80% saturated. (Compared to beef fat and lard which are about 50% saturated). A lot of the saturated fat in coconut oil is "medium-chain triglycerides", which are shorter-length fat molecules than the ones we usually think about when we talk saturated fat.

These shorter length fats have some unique properties, according to Mary Enig. The following is a great introduction to what's wrong with our common ideas about fat, and the different types of fat.

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html

[pinktulips]

Some of these dieticians/nutritionists need to write these articles to keep their paychecks flowing. I daresay they wouldn't get paid to write just a simple one-sentence word to sum it all up:

"To avoid trans fatty acids, very simply, avoid any foods prepared with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats." Period.

I personally don't buy into the evil saturated fat dogma. My health didn't start improving until I totally revamped my diet to get rid of all the low fat processed foods I was told were "healthy" by dieticians...and started eatiing real cheese, meat, fish, poultry, lots of veg and low glycemic load fruits, butter, flax, etc.

Now that companies have to label their products with trans fatty acids, I notice they're going back to coconut oil and palm oil in products. These are the oils that were prevalent in prepared foods back in the 50's and 60's, before the soybean lobby took over. No doubt they're now scampering to fiind studies proving the benefits of these "new" fats. Good! I think coconut oil and palm oils ARE beneficial; I just won't eat the white flour/sugar products made with them!

...whew! glad I got that off my chest!

[Roma-girl]

I have found a shop that sells Palm Oil but I can't find Coconut Oil anywhere in my neighbourhood.

Is Palm Oil as healthy as Coconut Oil, do you think?

[LC FP]

Not sure about health effects, but it apparently is being used in Europe--

Palm oil ‘reasonable’ replacement for trans fats, say experts
12/16/2005 - Palm oil is a “reasonable alternative” to trans fatty acids, according to an independent group of nutrition, medical and manufacturing experts who examined the oil’s functionality in food products and possible impacts on consumer health.


The findings, which are to be used as a base for industry discussions, may serve to calm the US industry's historical concerns about the negative health effects of palm oil, a naturally occurring saturated fat.

Funded by Malaysian-owned palm oil supplier Loders Croklaan, a roundtable was organized to examine the issue as the company believed the science on palm oil was more positive than it was historically represented to be.

“We found the scientific data on saturated and trans fats to be inconsistent, and believed saturated fats were better than people were making them out to be. We decided to form an expert panel to look at this and come back with the real story,” said Dr Gerald McNeill, the head or R&D and marketing at Loders Croklaan, which was blocked from the roundtable.

The multi-disciplinary panel was moderated by Dr Dennis Bier, Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine.

“Mono- or polyunsaturated fats are superior to saturated fat without question. But in some cases, for the purpose of food functionality and stability, saturated fats are necessary,” said project consultant and former State Commissioner of Health Dr Reyn Archer.

After examining the scientific evidence, the panel concluded that palm oil and coconut oil may be reasonable natural replacements for trans fats, which have been linked to raised blood cholesterol levels and heart disease. The panel also said alternatives to natural fats may include fats and oils modified by an interesterification process.

“Palm oil and iteresterified oils are the best replacements for trans fats, but we couldn't recommend the one over the other. When needed for the functionality of foods, we would suggest that both are reasonable options for consideration,” Dr Archer told FoodNavigator-USA.com.

However, the group pointed out that palm oil has been shown to increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and also increases HDL (good) cholesterol to a lesser degree, while the overall effect of widespread increases in dietary interesterified stearic acid on cardiovascular risk is not known.

And due to a lack of long-term data, the group concluded that “the long-term risks or benefits of using natural occurring saturated fats versus interesterified fats in the food supply is not known.”

While already used extensively in Europe as manufacturers move to replace trans fatty acids in their food formulations, palm oil in the US has only just started to recover from a strongly negative campaign started 20 years ago and linking the oil to heart disease.

However, helped along by three Loders Croklaan consumer studies in the last two years that revealed same levels of consumer acceptance for palm oil as for other oils, food manufacturers in the US are increasingly turning towards palm oil in an industry rush to replace trans fats in products before new labeling laws come into effect on January 1 2006.

Primary appeals of the oil are its functionality, its long shelf-life without the need for chemical processing, and its competitive cost.

Indeed, Loders Croklaan, which claims to be the nation's leading supplier of palm oil, last month opened a new plant that will increase its capacity by 200 percent due to increased demand for the oil.

“The results from the roundtable will put some of the concerns of the food industry to rest, and many more manufacturers will start using palm oil where appropriate,” said Dr McNeill.

Over 26 million tons of palm oil are currently produced worldwide in tropical countries, with the number one supplier being Malaysia – that produced over 13 million tons last year - followed by Indonesia and a raft of smaller producers.

Consumed in a wide variety of food products from instant noodles and crisps to cake mixes and snacks, palm oil has reaped a 28 per cent share of the total global supply and demand oil market. Today, soybean oil and palm oil account for over half of all oil consumed in the world.

And the steady prices born out by the oil are also attractive to the food industry vulnerable to price fluctuations from other popular oilseeds, such as soybeans and rapeseeds.

[bigpeach]

I can simplify it even further; don't eat any processed foods.

[ProfGumby]

sigh..i cannot keep all this fat crap straight. coconut oil is supposed to be good fat but it is almost all sat fat?

Saturated fat is not a trans fat.

Saturated fats are actually VERY good for you, Unsaturated fats are okay, but as we go along we are starting to find out that unsaturated fats are not as good as the low fat high carb set would have you believe.

I know it can be confusing,but the best advice I can give is to get your hands on an Atkins book, and get your hands on any of the Atkins books with recipe's in them and do what the book says. If the book says you can eat it, then do so.

Also- LC FP is right on the money here, I have read this in numerous places both here and other sites.
Coconut oil I believe is about 80% saturated. (Compared to beef fat and lard which are about 50% saturated). A lot of the saturated fat in coconut oil is "medium-chain triglycerides", which are shorter-length fat molecules than the ones we usually think about when we talk saturated fat.

These shorter length fats have some unique properties, according to Mary Enig.

Look up Mary Enig on Google and see...

Also these links will help!
www.bantransfats.com
Great site and I have emailed back and forth with the site founder on a few issues!

http://www.theomnivore.com/home.html
Another awesome site and Anthony will shed a lot of light on fats, and why they are good for you!

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=232929&highlight=coconut
A thread from this site, awesome info on Coconut Oil!

http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil.htm
Ray Peat is a PHD and his site is also loaded with cocnut oil info and other related topics!

It is a bit of reading, but your health is worth it, and it will clear up any confusion on fats.

No Worries!

[Tiltowait]

I just thought of why the fear of saturated fat is still being hyped by these article writers (call me slow)

It hurts your credibility with your patients and readers if you change your mind. Change it enough times when new research is done, and those who support your paycheck will realize that you can be wrong and will sheep after another authority that has more confidence. Sadly, these 'authorities' have a financial need to maintain their authority by being right, making them an inherently untrustworthy source of information.

[gryfonclaw]

sigh..i cannot keep all this fat crap straight. coconut oil is supposed to be good fat but it is almost all sat fat?

I know this has been quoted a few times, but this is my personal heirarchy of fat consumption:

Saturated fats: good
Monounsaturated fats: ok
Polyunsaturated fats: avoid
Trans Fats : do not eat ever

The thought of eating margarine again makes me want to vomit. I can't believe I ate so much of the stuff.

[Lez]

Trans Fats : do not eat ever

The thought of eating margarine again makes me want to vomit. I can't believe I ate so much of the stuff.

:agree: :D

[Groggy60]

Polyunsaturated fats are one I find strange. Why can the mainstream media not understand polyunsaturated fats are bad and saturated fats are good?

[LC FP]

Actually, polyunsaturated fats are the only essential fats: linoleic and alpha linolenic acids. Which we convert into (fish oil) EPA and DHA, and arichidonic acid.

Our liver makes tons of saturated fat, mostly palmitic (16:0) acid. Especialy when we overeat carbs. I think nutritionists would die if they knew that their favorite diet, low fat, causes our livers to make tons of saturated fat.

But have no fear. They aren't into learning anything new about nutrition, beyond what they learned in nutrition school.

[gryfonclaw]

Actually, polyunsaturated fats are the only essential fats: linoleic and alpha linolenic acids. Which we convert into (fish oil) EPA and DHA, and arichidonic acid.
Our liver makes tons of saturated fat, mostly palmitic (16:0) acid. Especialy when we overeat carbs.

Very true. Though I posted previously that I go out of my way to avoid polyunsaturated fats, I don’t totally cut them out, because they do occur naturally in veggies, just like I can’t cut out ALL trans fats(some trans fats that occur naturally in meats). I don’t believe eating vegetable oil from sources such as corn or soybean is natural, so I don’t use them.


I think nutritionists would die if they knew that their favorite diet, low fat, causes our livers to make tons of saturated fat.

Hahahaha. We wish.

But have no fear. They aren't into learning anything new about nutrition, beyond what they learned in nutrition school.

Which is good and bad. :(


Polyunsaturated fats are one I find strange. Why can the mainstream media not understand polyunsaturated fats are bad and saturated fats are good?

Because, not unlike general reactions to the word “ketosis”, (most) people have a knee-jerk tendency to foam at the mouth at the mention of saturated fats.

Of course, their logic being “OMG THE CRAP BLOCKING MY ARTERIES LOOKS LIKE THIS STUFF ON MY STEAK.”

Therefore, EATING STUFF ON STEAK = BLOCKING ARTERIES

It’s really stupid. Then again, so is my awesome analogy. :cool:

[Dodger]

Of course, their logic being “OMG THE CRAP BLOCKING MY ARTERIES LOOKS LIKE THIS STUFF ON MY STEAK.”

Therefore, EATING STUFF ON STEAK = BLOCKING ARTERIES

It’s really stupid. Then again, so is my awesome analogy. :cool:I was under the impression that analysis of artery blockages found mostly polyunsats as the deposit.

[gryfonclaw]

I was under the impression that analysis of artery blockages found mostly polyunsats as the deposit.

You are correct. I was referring to the unfair villianization of saturated fats. Like I said, my analogy is awesome. (Not.)

[ItsTheWooo]

Foods that contain a lot of PHO are usually unhealthy for more reasons than the PHO. If you were eating so many PHO-containing foods before that this is a big issue, odds are you've got more pressing health concerns than that (excess starch, sugar, refined food with no vitamins, proteins, or good fats...)

[ItsTheWooo]

Oh, and, I think the fat dilemma would resolve itself if people stopped eating so much processed food (yes that includes any form of concentrated fat/oil). The real issue is we are refining and concentrating only a portion of the food, thus compromising quality and balance relative to other nutrient factors.

If people used very very little added fats of any kind, and instead, at the food whole, these problems would likely resolve themselves. It's much harder to create an imbalance that way.

[gryfonclaw]

Oh, and, I think the fat dilemma would resolve itself if people stopped eating so much processed food (yes that includes any form of concentrated fat/oil). The real issue is we are refining and concentrating only a portion of the food, thus compromising quality and balance relative to other nutrient factors.

I agree with this...however...


If people used very very little added fats of any kind, and instead, at the food whole, these problems would likely resolve themselves. It's much harder to create an imbalance that way.

Example - Since I believe in the benefits of coconut oil consumption I'd rather just use the oil than eat the coconut that contains the oil, primarly because that would be such a pain in the ass to eat that much coconut. :D

I tend to add it to just about everything I eat.

[Roma-girl]

Foods that contain a lot of PHO are usually unhealthy for more reasons than the PHO. If you were eating so many PHO-containing foods before that this is a big issue, odds are you've got more pressing health concerns than that (excess starch, sugar, refined food with no vitamins, proteins, or good fats...)

I'm probably slow, but what do you mean by PHO?

[arc]

I'm probably slow, but what do you mean by PHO?

partially-hydrogenated oils (trans-fats)

[Roma-girl]

partially-hydrogenated oils (trans-fats)

Oh, right!

I AM slow! :agree:

I never thought of that! :o

Thanks, Arc!