Trans Fats–Unsafe At Any Speed

Trans Fats and Cholesterol

There are two kinds of cholesterol in our bodies; LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and HDL-cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). Higher LDL and lower HDL levels increase the risk of heart attack (i.e., coronary heart disease). Trans fats do two things to our cholesterol levels: they increase LDL-cholesterol, and lower HDL-cholesterol. This is why they must be avoided.

How to Spot Trans Fats

Unfortunately, food manufacturers in the U.S. are allowed to list their wares as having “zero” trans fats if their products contain no more than 0.5 grams per serving. In other words, you might be eating up to 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving without knowing it!

The key is to look beyond the total fat, protein, and carbohydrate content listed on the label. Read the ingredients! If you see the phrase “partially hydrogenated” anywhere in the contents, my advice is to avoid that product!

Remember, even if something has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, ask yourself how many servings you are likely to consume. Serving sizes tend to be on the low end, and many of us wind up eating multiple servings. This may translate into a significant amount of trans fat.

Remember also that many commercially-made baked treats and fried foods may contain trans fats (pies, doughnuts, pastries, French fries, etc.). If the ingredients are not listed, a good rule of thumb is to ask the vendor if they have removed trans fats from their recipes.

Here’s a link to a really good article if you want to read more.

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Barry Thompson M.D.