The Truth About Trans-Fats
by Jennifer Altavilla
Trying to decide what to eat can be a daunting task. With saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and, as of January 1, 2006, trans fats, cluttering nutrition labels, it is hard for anyone, even the most health-conscious, to understand what is "healthy" anymore.
Over the past two years it has become en vogue to eliminate trans fat from the diet, and not without good reason. Trans fat, created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, has been scientifically proven to simultaneously raise low-density lipoprotein levels ("bad cholesterol") and decrease high density lipoprotein levels ("good cholesterol"). Basically trans fat raises the type of cholesterol that leads to blood clots and decreases the cholesterol that reduces the risk of heart attack by cleaning out the plaque buildup in the arteries.
Fast food restaurants were the first to come under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association because food fried in hydrogenated oil (for example French fries), along with processed cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and crackers contain the highest amounts of trans fats. In an effort to appease the FDA and AHA and appeal to increasingly health-conscious consumers, most fast food chains have phased out trans fats. Wendy's started the trend and has been trans fat free since August 2006. Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's and Taco Bell quickly followed suit, while Burger King just announced at the beginning of July 2007 that it would eliminate trans fat completely by the end of 2008. Even Starbucks purged all of its baked goods and drink products of trans fat in May 2007.
This transition to healthier oils has not been smooth sailing for the fast food corporations. McDonald's had to test a dozen oil blends before it found one that was able to replicate the taste of hydrogenated oil. Chefs and bakers started hydrogenating oil because the process yielded goods with a longer shelf life, a more consistent flavor, and a fluffier texture. The elimination of fats that have been used in commercial food processing for almost 100 years is thus a matter of business, not just health. Business owners don't want to stop using trans fats if it means producing a healthier, but not as tasty product that consumers won't want to purchase.
Are trans fats really harmful enough to risk losing profits over? In many ways the answer is yes. Trans fat is worse for the heart than saturated fat, the former evil fat, because it both increases LDL, "bad cholesterol," and decreases HDL, "good cholesterol," whereas saturated fat boosts both levels, which basically negates most of the harmful effects of LDL. Thus, trans fat can lead to more cases of coronary heart disease, which strikes 12.5 million Americans each year and kills 500,000. Trans fats also lead to inflammation, or an overactive immune system, which leads to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
However, according to a report by the Harvard School of Public Health, 75% of cholesterol is made in the liver, while only 25% is absorbed from food. Therefore, a person cannot control his/her cholesterol levels simply by changing diets. Some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, regardless of what they eat.
Also, eradicating trans fats can also lead to higher levels of saturated fats in the diet. Many new trans fat-free blended oils contain palm or coconut oil, which contain astronomical levels of saturated fat. Although saturated fats are not as harmful as trans fats, they still are not healthy and abnormally high levels can lead to heart disease.
What's the final skinny on trans fats? Although eliminating trans fats from the diet is beneficial, it does not mean that high cholesterol will never be a problem. Replacing trans fats with oils higher in saturated fats is not a healthy alternative, and especially will not help if a person is already genetically predisposed to high cholesterol anyway. Purging trans fats from the diet is just the beginning of eating healthy, not the solution. In order to truly eat healthy, people need to watch both their intake of trans fats and unsaturated fats, good fats from foods such as nuts and fish. Fast food restaurants seem heroic for finding trans fat alternatives, but this new innovation does not mean people can eat all the French fries and chicken nuggets they want. Being trans fat free does not make those foods healthy, just less harmful than before.
Living in New York might help smooth the transition for many people though. Always up on the newest trends, New York City is fast becoming trans fats free. As of July 1, 2008 all New York City bakeries and restaurants were banned from using trans fats in oil, shortening, spreads, and baked goods. Such a law will alert people to the dangers of trans fat and might make them more aware of what they put in their mouths while they are out to eat, but it should not cause people to stop making healthy choices at home. Restaurants can only do so much to help; the rest has to come from the people themselves.
