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Are Any "Trans Fatty Acids" Good for You?
Cynthia L. Hughes, Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist Trans fatty acids, also known as "trans fat", are made during partial hydrogenation of vegetables oils. The process used to make many margarines and shortenings last longer without spoiling. They are called "trans" (which means "across" in Latin) because the two hydrogen atoms end up across from each other at the double bond. Usually the hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bond. Trans fatty acids are also found naturally in small amounts in meats and dairy products.
TRANS CIS (Usual Position)
H
| -C=C-
-C=C- | |
| H H
H
Recently, a report issued by the Institute of Medicine said the only safe
amount of trans fatty acid is "zero".It is because trans fatty acids are linked to increased levels of LDL and total cholesterol, which increases your risk for heart disease. Since eliminating all sources would lead to an inadequate diet, the Institute of Medicine currently recommends to "keep trans fatty acids consumption as low as possible while eating a nutritionally adequate diet". How can you do this? Eat a wide variety of food from all five food groups: meat, dairy, fruit, vegetable, & grain, while limiting trans fatty acids where you can. Until trans fatty acids is required on the nutrition labels, you can try a few of the tips listed below. 1). Limit foods that are typically high in trans fatty acids:
2). Limit foods that list partially hydrogenated oil as the first ingredient on their ingredient list:
3). Estimate the amount of trans fatty acids using the nutrition label. If the manufacturers chooses to list the poly- & monounsaturated fat on the nutrition label, you can subtract all three types of fat grams from the total fat grams and get an estimate of the amount of trans fatty acids grams:
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