Trans fat proves…
… that not all fats are created equal.
Even though fat has been villainized in the past, it is an important part of a healthy diet. It does not only provide energy but also essential fatty acids (fatty acids that our body cannot synthetize but need to get from nutrition). Among the organs that particularly benefit from these fatty acids are heart and skeleton muscles. Additionally fat helps us absorb vitamins that are only soluble in fat such as vitamins A, D, E or K. But not all fat is created equal. Whilst some fat is an important part of our diet, trans fat has no known benefits and can be potentially harmful.
Did you know?
Olive oil does not only add taste to your salad. It helps to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K which otherwise would not be utilized. It additionally contains oleic acid which is a monosaturated fat reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Hence including olive oil in your every salad is a small thing that benefits your health in numerous ways. Remember, we all should consume one to two tablespoons of olive oil a day to reap all its benefits.
Trans fat
In this article you will find out everything you need to know about trans fat and how to keep taps on the amount of trans fat you consume in your diet. In order to do that we need to understand what are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Saturated fatty acids
Saturated fats have double bonds in their carbon chain which makes them solid at room temperature. Examples are meat and dairy products or a palm oil.
Unsaturated fatty acids
There are two kinds of unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Both of these are usually liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats have one carbon-carbon double bond in their molecule. They are present in foods like olive oil or avocado. Polyunsaturated fat molecules have multiple double bonds. They are present in fish and nuts. Both of these promote our cardiovascular health by increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol.
What is trans fat?
Trans fat is a naturally uncommon version of unsaturated fatty acid. It can be found in some food. Some trans fat occurs naturally in animal produce such as beef or lamb among others. It forms when bacteria, which is present in the animal stomach, reacts to the grass that these animals eat. Additionally except for meat it can be found in other animal products such as cheese, milk or yoghurt.
Industrially produced trans fat is produced artificially in a process called hydrogenation. This is done by adding hydrogen to a liquid vegetable oil. It is then a part of a chemical called partially hydrogenated oil. Partially hydrogenated oils has been limited in the USA and the European Union. Nevertheless they still occur in smaller amounts in some processed food (especially food prepared using margarine or shortening) or in food that has been prepared by heating oil using a very high temperature for a significant amount of time.
Why is trans fat produced?
It is no surprise that partially hydrogenated oils might be a tempting solution for some food producers. The hydrogenation process ensures that liquid vegetable oil turns into semi solid or solid fat. Partially hydrogenated oils are also cheap to make and less likely to get spoiled. This means that adding them to food is an easy way of increasing shelf life of various products such as crackers, cookies or cakes. Additionally they improve flavor and texture of food.
Impact of trans fat
Trans fat from animal products is considered safe in small amounts. Nevertheless the commercially produced trans fat should be minimized. Why? It increases bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowers good cholesterol (HDL). It also damages the inner lining of blood vessels. This then increases a risk of a heart disease.
Even though trans fats have been limited in the USA (1) and the EU, they are still present in some food we might put in our shopping basket.
In the USA products can be labeled as ‘trans fat free’ if they contain less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving. In such case you might read on a food label TRANS FAT 0% which might make the food look healthy at first glance, but on the food label you will also find PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL. This to many of us does not mean much (we probably don’t even read this part of a food label) nevertheless it indicates that trans fat is present in the product.
In the European Union trans fat is limited as well. Currently it is max. 2g of industrially produced trans fat per 100g of fat in foods intended for customers and retail. On the food label you can find it sneakily hidden under ingredients as MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES OF FATTY ACIDS. Trans fat is not specifically listed under fat, but forms part of the saturated fat amount on the very same food packaging label. Next time check the label on a box of your favorite long shelf life chocolate croissants. You might be unpleasantly surprised!
You might think that the allowed maximum amount sounds fairly small, nevertheless it is not if we take into account the guidance of the World Health Organization. This guidance suggests that trans fats should not exceed 1% of total daily energy intake. If we consider standard 2000-calorie diet this amount is only 2.2g trans fat per day as a maximum.
How can I limit trans fat in my diet?
- Cut down your intake of foods such as doughnuts, cookies, sweet and savory crackers, muffins, pies and cakes and frosting. All these are foods that are typically high in trans fat.
- Look at which oils have been used to produce your groceries. Limit products made by using palm oil. You can find such information on a food label.
- Moderate your fast food intake such as French fries, pizza, burgers or chicken nuggets. Fats used for deep frying still often use partially hydrogenated fat and contain trans fat.
- You might find it surprising but some breakfast cereal still contains trans fat. Check the food label.
- Long shelf life bread and bakery products might have trans fat present, try to limit these.
- Some spreads, especially the more solid ones are very typical examples of products with trans fat.
- Some ice cream producers still add trans fat to their treats.
- Limit amount of microwavable popcorn. You might be surprised to find trans fat in it.
- Some coffee creamer can also contain trans fat.
A switch to products containing less trans fat will certainly impact your budget and time. Fresh foods, foods using higher quality oils, limiting fast food and takeaways and foods with a shorter shelf life (and so likely with less trans fat present) are usually more expensive. Also, becoming familiar with the food labels and what they are telling us might feel a bit overwhelming initially. Nevertheless the health benefits are significant.
Let’s stay in touch!
Are you trying to eliminate trans fat from your diet? The good news is that the current legislation is helping us significantly with this endeavor. Nevertheless there is a lot we can still do!
Let us know your thoughts on fat in the diet and how you keep it at a healthy amount on our Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok. Do you want to learn more about healthy nutrition and how fiber can help you? Click here for all you need to know about fiber! Would you like to join me for a workout? Head to Fitness section of Workout Bestie for the latest workout videos or YouTube and join me for my Kettlebell Express Workout! Click below!
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Resources:
(1) FDA Completes Final Administrative Actions on Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Foods | FDA, downloaded 11/06/2024 from https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-completes-final-administrative-actions-partially-hydrogenated-oils-foods
