Unlike natural fats, which are both good and bad for you, trans fat can only mimic the bad side of fat. Like saturated fat, it clogs arteries. Unlike monounsaturated fat, which lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol, trans fat does just the opposite. That’s bad. So bad, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Heart Association have declared there is “no safe level” for human consumption. Their best advice: Eat as little as possible.
Beware of fakes in disguise. Some manufacturers are putting out products that claim to be “trans-fat free.” It is legal to make this claim as long as the trans fat content is under a half-gram per serving, not per package.
It is easy to figure out just how trans-fat free a package really is. Note the amount of total fat per serving on the nutrition label. Underneath the total grams is a breakdown of the individual types of fat and their gram content. Add up the grams of the individual fats. Say, for example, the total grams of fat per serving are 10. If the total of the individual kinds of fat listed comes to 8, then you can assume that those missing two grams of fat are trans fat Eat two servings and you double your trans fat intake.
Other danger signs. Chemically, trans fat is known as partly hydrogenated oil. If you see these words or any phrases that contain the word “hydrogenated,” or “partially hydrogenated,” translate it to mean trans fat.
Palm’s down. The image of palm leaves swaying in the breeze may make it sound innocent, but palm oil is a serious artery stuffer. Before trans fat was invented, palm oil was the common preservative used in packaged foods. It also made food taste good. But the nutrition enforcers came crashing down on palm oil because it is even worse than saturated fat.
Consumer watchdogs say that some manufacturers are retreating back to palm oil in an effort to keep taste appeal high until a substitute is found for trans fat. Palm oil, however, is also believed to be worse for you than trans fat. So, read the labels and keep away from palm oil.
Shop at Health Food Stores.
Manufacturers are spending millions to find a safer workhorse to replace trans fat, but are having a difficult time finding one that will make fast-food fries and packaged cookies and crackers taste the way consumers expect them to taste. Meanwhile, as the search goes on, trans fats are still at large.
You do not want to waste your fat allowance on oils that are not good for you, especially when you are trying to lose weight. Read labels when food shopping. Best yet, shop at health-conscious food stores. Places like Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace say they won’t stock products containing trans fat.
Something Ventured. Something Gained
The United States is known as the land of opportunities, one being the opportunity to get fat. If a study of more than 32,000 United States immigrants is any indication, foreigners who move to this country can expect to grow with each passing year.
The research shows that after 15 years of living in the United States, immigrants have the identical susceptibility to gaining weight as the average Joe or Josephine. Unfortunately, it appears to put them at a greater disadvantage than their native-born neighbors when it comes to dealing with the repercussions. The same research found that only 14 percent had access to the proper health care that could help them correct the problem.
