Kinetic Enterprise - eZine Article

The FDA estimates that the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats each year.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health estimate that replacing the partially hydrogenated fat in the U.S. diet with natural vegetable oils would prevent as many as 100,000 deaths annually—that averages out to 274 deaths per day!

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Fueling Your Fire - March 14, 2007

Metabolic Poison

All foods in moderation, right? Well, that’s almost right. Most foods in moderation? Yes, indeed. (I’ve learned, as a general rule, it is never a good idea to make an absolute statement).

There are a few foods (more accurately, “food-like substances”) that don’t even get dieticians’ begrudging nod for the “consume sparingly” top of the food guide pyramid. At the top of this list? Partially hydrogenated oil (also known as “trans fat” because of the formation of its chemical bonds) is one of them.

Consider these:

	In December 2006, New York City passed a ban on use of trans fats in all restaurants.

	A panel for the National Academy of Sciences concluded, “The only safe intake of trans fat is zero.”

	Walter Willett (Harvard School of Public Health) has termed trans fats “metabolic poison.”

A food-substance so dangerous that one of the most influential cities in our nation is banning it? No amount of it is safe? “Metabolic poison”?? Goodness, what is this stuff? ... and more importantly, how did it ever get into our food?

While around in some form since the late 1800s, partially hydrogenated oils came into widespread use in the 1950s as Americans embraced and celebrated the convenience and ease of packaged, processed foods. Hydrogenated oils are created by heating oil to a high temperature in the presence of hydrogen and metal catalysts then arresting the process before its completion, thus the adjective partially (fully hydrogenated fats appear to be innocuous). Partially hydrogenated oils produce a hardened fat (interestingly enough, a quality similar to what happens in your arteries when you eat it). By using trans fats, food manufacturers have been able to create foods with extended shelf lives (think Twinkie).

Why are they so dangerous? The list is long, but to keep things simple, trans fats:

	Increase the risk for heart disease by elevating total cholesterol, increasing "bad" (LDL) cholesterol, and decreasing "good" (HDL) cholesterol (if olive oil is a "heart healthy" fat, than trans fats are the "anti-heart healthy" fat).

	Are strongly speculated to have adverse affects on cell membranes, immunity, and may promote inflammation and aging.

So, what’s your homework? Oust the metabolic poison by examining the nutrition information for the cookies in your desk drawer, the crackers in your pantry, the spreads for your toast, and the biscuits you’re having for dinner. If the nutrition label indicates anything other than “0” under trans fats, or if the ingredient list contains any “partially hydrogenated” oils, throw it out and shop for an alternative. Also, beware that if a product contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, the product’s label can still claim zero trans fats. So, even if the label lists no trans fats, be a food sleuth and read the ingredient list for hidden culprits.

Ahhhh, the miracle of food technology. Twinkies... we knew it was too good to be true for a bread-like product to remain spongy for that long.

It's time to do your homework, fearless food sleuths!

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