How to keep trans fats under control.

February 11, 2006

How to keep trans fats under control Foods now list fat amounts per serving, but it's unclear how much is safe By Karen Collins, R.D. MSNBC Updated: 10:00 a.m. ET Feb. 10, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11269299/ Excerpts: 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. For the entire article please go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11269299/ "Our ideal is not the spirituality that

withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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