FDA Ban on Trans Fats
November 9th, 2013The FDA recently revealed it is taking steps to eliminating trans fat from the grocery store aisles. What is trans fat and what does this mean for our health? Trans fat is a synthetic fat made from naturally occurring oils. Essentially, manufacturers add hydrogen to oils made from corn, turning a liquid oil into a solid. Eating foods high in trans fat is directly linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. This is obviously a good move on the part of the FDA. Currently in New York City and many other cities in the US, there is a ban on restaurants using this unhealthy fat. I have noticed among my patients that this ban is having other positive effects, such as making people more aware of the health dangers in overconsumption of fats in general. It is also getting people to read food labels. Speaking of which, you certainly want to know that many foods will rarely list “trans fat” on the list of ingredients. Instead, they are hidden under other names such as: partially hydrogenated (soybean, canola, vegetable, etc.) oil, mono and di-glycerides, trans fatty acids, and modified oils. Unless you’re a chemist, you may never know you were eating something that could potentially kill you! If you have the option of choosing a food item with the “trans fat free” label, certainly pick that one.
I generally recommend that people avoid prepackaged foods. If you bake your own cookies and cakes, you control what you put in them. You can choose healthy oils such as olive oil or canola oil and I’m sure you won’t be putting preservatives in them like their counterparts from the store. If you must have your sweets (always in moderation!) but you don’t know how to bake, go to your local bakery. They will also be less likely to add trans fats to your food. In addition to eating a healthier product, you will also be supporting the local economy, reducing your carbon footprint (they didn’t need to use gas to drive the product halfway across the country and package it in petroleum-based plastic), and it will likely taste ten times better than that sad cookie sitting on the shelf for months.
I think the FDA is heading in the right direction. They are creating awareness among the public that we do not need to accept the “toxins” in our food. I often tell my patients to only eat foods that their grandparents would recognize. I’m sure a synthetic fat that is created in a sterile chemistry lab would not be one of them.
