Do you remember when you first heard that TRANS fats are bad for you?
I remember as a child my sister was making whipped cream (from the raw milk we bought from a local farmer). Only this time it turned into a solid mass. Our parents recognized it – she had made butter!
This was in the 1970’s and my family was just starting to be aware that butter may be healthier than the margarine that was served at every restaurant and social function.
Recently, I’ve been doing a little research into the hydrogenated fats (aka trans fats) that so many of us thought were the “healthy option”.
- 1956 – early indications that hydrogenated fats increase coronary artery disease.
- 1990’s – public health study shows these fats cause 20,000 deaths/ year.
- 2002 -National Academy of Science (NAS) publishes trans fats increase the risk of heart disease.
- 2003 – confirmation that trans fats increase risk of Alzheimer’s
- 2006 – New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) finds link between heart disease and trans fats
- 2007 – 2% increase in trans fats = 73% increase in infertility
The FDA Responds Slowly
In 2003, the FDA required food manufacturers to LABEL trans fats. And allowed them to list .5 grams as zero.
After 92 years of food conglomerates and the AMA telling us to eat margarine instead of butter, what do we have? A dramatic increase in heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s and inflammatory diseases. Now with 50 years of science proving that trans fats are bad for you the media has been doing a good job of increasing our awareness of the harm from these fats.
In 2015, the FDA gave food manufacturers THREE MORE YEARS to stop using the stuff.
What to Look For on Labels
“Hydrogenated oil” and “partially hydrogenated oil” (of any type corn, canola, soy, safflower…) = trans fat.
Here are some popular foods that contain up to 1/2 grams of trans fats per serving and yet are permitted to put Zero trans fats on their label:
- granola, crackers, snack bars, peanut butter, animal crackers, breakfast bars
Does a Half Gram Really Matter?
The recommended daily fat intake for women is about 50 to 70 grams. So it might seem that a half gram is insignificant. But those half grams add up through the day. If you have granola for breakfast and eat a couple snack bars during the day. Add some crackers and peanut butter for an afternoon snack and you could be getting 1-2 grams of trans fat or more each day!
It’s easy to see how women, even those who read labels and are trying to avoid trans fat, could be consuming significantly more trans fat than the level that has been shown to increase the risk of infertility.
And it’s even easier to see how this could affect our children, whose caloric intake is lower, but snack food intake is higher. Unfortunately trans fats stick around for a long time. But there are things you can do to reduce your exposure.
One of the most important ways to address the “good fat/ bad fat” balance in your body is to do a simple blood test that looks at your personal levels. Then you address it with a customized approach.
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