Trans-Fats—The Other Bad Fat

When you think of “bad fat” you probably think of saturated fats-butter, animal fat, and coconut oil. These are the ones that raise your bad cholesterol, or LDL, as well as increasing your risks of developing serious health conditions like heart disease.

Well, it’s important to know that trans-fats, do the same thing. By January of 2006, food labels will be required to list the trans fat content. It will be listed under the fats.

Health-wise, trans fats are even worse! Not only do they increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) but they also decrease your HDL (good cholesterol). Together these two effects are primary risks in the development of heart disease.

Where do trans fats hide?

v For now, start with the ingredient list. If words like partially hydrogenated or shortening are one of the first three ingredients and the item contains quite a bit of fat, steer clear! (5 grams = 1 teaspoon of fat and 45 calories!) Common sources include:

Most Margarines & Shortenings

Crackers

Cakes Mixes

Snack Cakes

Snack Foods

Chips

Doughnuts

Pie Crusts

Biscuits

Breakfast Cereals

Frozen Waffles

Microwave Popcorn

Packaged Cookies

Baked and Fried Items

v Next, think deep-fried and fast-food, like French fries.

What can you do?

v You’ve heard it before—make your own meals. With a little practice, many recipes can be modified to be healthier and quick. For example, when you make a batch of waffles, use canola oil, make extras, and freeze for later use.

v Commercial products often offer light varieties. The lower fat options will likely contain less trans-fats. Reduced fat crackers are one example.

v If you do continue to select deep-fried and fast food items, choose the small serving size, and less often.

Why should you care?

In addition to heart disease, trans fats have been implicated in:

v Increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes in women

v Increased risk of Colon Cancer

v Breast Cancer