RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Americans are more than familiar with fat. Vigorously avoiding it is practically a national (and, given our rising obesity rates, an seemingly futile) pastime. But do we know it when we see it? According to a recent survey, the answer is no—at least when it comes to trans fat, also called trans fatty acid. It’s the kind of fat found in most commercially prepared baked and fried foods, and the consumption of it has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease.
THE DETAILS: Researchers twice surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 65 to determine their “awareness, knowledge, and behaviors related to fats and oils and their perceived impact on heart disease.” In 2007, the second year of the study, 92 percent said they had heard of trans fats—up from 84 percent the year before. And nearly three-quarters of those aware of trans fats knew that trans fats raise your risk of heart disease. So far, so good. When asked to name three food sources of trans fats, however, only 21 percent could do it.
WHAT IT MEANS: Trans fat is created when manufacturers of foods such as vegetable shortening, margarines, crackers, cookies, and some snack foods add hydrogen to vegetable oil. The process—called hydrogenation—allows the newly-made fat to stay solid at room temperature, increasing the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing it. But it makes those foods less healthful, too. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, consumption of trans fats raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. It also raises levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good cholesterol” that decreases your heart disease risk. More than 12 million Americans have heart disease and more than 500,000 die from it each year. That makes heart disease one of the leading causes of death in the United States—and makes trans fats an important risk factor to know about.
Here’s how you can boost your trans fat IQ:
• Look at the label. Since January 2006, food manufacturers have been required to list trans fat on all their products. You’ll find it included in the Nutrition Facts panel directly under the line for saturated fat. For optimum heart health, the FDA suggests comparing similar foods and choosing the food with the lowest combined saturated and trans fats, and the lowest amount of cholesterol. While the FDA hasn’t established a recommended Daily Value or a %DV for trans fats, foods that pack 5% or less of the DV for saturated fat and cholesterol are considered low in artery-clogging fats; those that pack more than 20% are high.
• Don’t forget the ingredients list. Checking it is important, too, says lead study author Robert Eckel, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado at Denver, who points out that some manufacturers are now using tropical oils like coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil to replace trans fats. Because tropical oils are high in saturated fat, those manufacturers are simply trading one artery-clogger for another. Also avoid foods listing “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” fat or oil on the label. Thanks to a legal loophole, those foods may contain some trans fats even though the label says they don’t.
• Know thy enemy. These are far and above the major food sources of trans fats for American adults: cakes, cookies, crackers, pie, and bread. Get into the habit of checking the labels of processed foods; look for versions that are trans fat free. Better yet, replace processed food with whole, organic fruit and vegetables whenever you can: they’re better for you and for the environment.