No doubt you’ve heard warnings about trans fats. But are you really sure what they are, why they are bad for you — and how to avoid them? Here’s what women need to know…
Trans fats are “fake” fats. Some meats and dairy products contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats — but 80% of trans fats are artificially produced. Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. The purpose of these fake fats is to give foods texture and extend shelf life.
Even small amounts harm your heart. Getting just 1% to 3% of your daily calories from trans fats — about 2 g to 6 g, or the amount that could be found in a slice of pie — increases your risk for cardiovascular problems. Trans fats raise LDL “bad” cholesterol… lower HDL “good” cholesterol… increase inflammation… and interfere with artery wall function.
New evidence: In four studies involving nearly 140,000 participants, a mere 2% increase in calorie intake from trans fats was linked to a 23% increased risk for heart disease. The Nurses’ Health Study measured trans fats in women’s red blood cells and found that women in the highest 25% were more than three times as likely to develop heart problems as those in the lowest 25%.
The impact on health may be wide-ranging. Trans fats appear more likely than other fats to promote weight gain. They have been linked to the development of diabetes, especially in people who are overweight, inactive or otherwise predisposed to the disease. Trans fats also may boost the risk for infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Trans fats lurk in unsuspected foods. You may know that trans fats are found in many deep-fried fast foods (french fries, onion rings), commercially baked goods (doughnuts, cookies), packaged snacks (chips, crackers), shortening and some margarines. But even supposedly “good-for-you” foods — such as soup and microwave popcorn — sometimes have trans fats. And did you realize that some foods claiming to have zero trans fats still contain these bad fats?
Reason: Nutrition labels can list a trans fat content of zero if a single serving has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat — even if a “suggested serving size” is unrealistically small compared with what people usually eat (for instance, one-third of a muffin). Self-defense…
In the supermarket — if the ingredients list includes the phrase “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,” the food contains trans fats… so skip it.
In restaurants — avoid the foods listed above unless the manager confirms that the food is trans fat–free.
