Trans-fatty acids

Zero Denial

There are good fats and there are bad fats. And then there are trans-fats, the Frankenstein in the world of fats.

As if we already didn’t know just how dangerous trans-fats are, a new Harvard study demonstrates the profound negative effects trans-fat consumption can have on heart health.

This new study may serve as a wake up call for some consumers, but don’t worry; the FDA has come up with a plan to help everyone live in denial.

Goose egg

When vegetable oil is partially hydrogenated, it becomes less oily and has a longer shelf life. These qualities have made partially hydrogenated oil the go-to oil for restaurants and snack-food manufacturers. The down side: hydrogenation also creates trans-fatty acids.

In the e-Alert “The New Big Oil” (8/20/02) I told you about a report from a National Academy of Sciences panel that attempted to set a safe intake level for trans-fatty acids . The report confirmed previous findings about the relationship of trans-fatty acids and the risk of heart disease, and concluded with this recommendation: “The only safe intake of trans-fat is zero.”

That assessment is confirmed again in a study that appeared last month in the New England Journal of Medicine. Led by a team from the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers reviewed the results of a variety of trans-fats studies and came to these conclusions:

Adverse effects of trans-fats are “far stronger” on average than the negative effects of pesticide residues or food contaminants

• Trans-fat consumption raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol.
• Trans-fats increase triglyceride levels
• Trans-fats have been associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death
• In a 16-year study of more than 84,000 female nurses, trans-fat intake was linked to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes

The Harvard team estimates that as much as 19 percent of the coronary heart disease events in the U.S. every year could be avoided with the elimination of trans-fats from our diets.

“No” doesn’t really mean “no”

Trans-fats are everywhere in the typical Western diet. Deep-fried foods, margarines, bakery products and snack foods are the primary sources of trans-fats.

In the wake of growing awareness of trans-fat dangers, the FDA took action and issued new rules for the labeling of packages, effective January 1, 2006. And the rules are perfect for anyone who wants to pretend he’s getting no trans-fats in his diet.

An article that appears on a Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) web site explains that manufacturers who produce foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans-fats per serving can make the claim that the food contains “zero” grams of trans-fats.

That’s right: According to the FDA, 0.49 equals zero. So if you purchase some “heart healthy” crackers that contain “zero trans-fats,” in just three servings you could easily consume a gram of trans-fats, even though the cracker label has assured you that the trans-fat content is zero.

The HHS article outlines the creative logic behind this government math with a statement from Barbara Schneeman, director of the FDA Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements. Ms. Schneeman points out that current detection methods for trans-fats aren’t reliable below 0.5 grams.

Meanwhile, out here in the real world, there’s a trans-fat detection method that’s 100 percent reliable: If the ingredients panel of a product contains the word “hydrogenated,” then the product contains trans-fats. If the word “hydrogenated” does not appear, look for the word “shortening,” which is a tip that partially hydrogenated oils may have been used.

Help get the word out. Tell your friends and family these two essential trans-fats facts: 1) Trans-fats are dangerous, and 2) You cannot trust ANY claim about “zero” trans-fats until you check a product’s ingredients list.

Sources:

“Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease” The New England Journal of Medicine, Vo. 354, No. 15, 4/13/06, content.nejm.org
“Trans Fats Judged Major Villain in Cardiovascular Disease” Judity Groch, Medpage Today, 4/13/06, medpagetoday.com
“Trans Fat on Food Labels: Now You See It, Now You Don’t” Serena Gordon, HealthDay, healthfinder.gov
“Venous Thrombosis and Conjugated Equine Estrogen in Women Without a Uterus” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, No. 7, 4/10/06, archinte.ama-assn.org
“Study: Estrogen-Only Pills Pose Risk” Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press, 4/10/06, ap.org