|
Trans
fats may be disappearing, but labels still need reading
April 17, 2008
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Now
that food companies are removing the trans fat from cookies,
cakes and other processed foods, making food choices requires
a new level of label-reading acumen.
Why? Because trans fat is being replaced by new and sometimes
unfamiliar ingredients.
Trans fats are created when vegetable oil is partially hydrogenated,
a process that converts liquid oils into solid or semi-solid
forms used in shortening and some margarines. Research shows
that trans fats – as well as saturated fats –
raise levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and lower
levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, increasing
your risk of coronary artery disease.
The federal government now requires food manufacturers to
list on the nutrient facts label the amount of trans fat in
packaged foods. Since trans fat is no longer hidden from shoppers,
food companies are testing alternatives.
Palm oil is one of them.
One reader wrote to me: “Recently I discovered that
Food Lion’s “Honey Flavored Graham Crackers”
labeled “cholesterol-free” have no hydrogenated
oil. But they have palm oil which my wife believes is still
bad for me.”
His wife is probably right.
Palm oil is made from the pulp of palm tree fruit and is used
all over the world in margarine, cookies, crackers and baked
goods – the same foods in which trans fat-laden partially
hydrogenated oils have been used in the U.S.
Palm oil is cheaper than other vegetable oils, but it’s
probably not as good for your health. Though it’s likely
not as damaging as the saturated fat in butter or the trans
fat in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, palm oil does
increase blood cholesterol levels.
More research is needed to better understand how different
forms of fat affect health, but for now, most health scientists
think eating palm oil raises the risk of coronary artery disease
and that we should limit the amount we eat.
What else is being used to replace partially hydrogenated
oils?
* Interesterified oils. These are vegetable oils that, like
partially hydrogenated oils, have been chemically altered
so that they are solid or semi-solid at room temperature.
A study published last year at Brandeis University found that
interesterified oil had a similar, though slightly lesser,
effect on blood cholesterol levels as compared to trans fat.
However, interesterified oil also appeared to raise blood
sugar levels. Until there’s been more study of this
type of oil, avoid it.
* Mixed vegetable oils. Some manufacturers are using a blend
of several different oils, including corn, soybean, canola
and others. Assuming these ingredients aren’t preceded
by the words “interesterified” or “partially
hydrogenated,” they’re fine.
* Butter, lard and other animal fats. These contain saturated
fat, which, like trans fat, are linked with higher cholesterol
levels and an increased risk for coronary artery disease.
Eat as little as you can.
Also keep these tips in mind:
* Do it yourself. If you want cookies or cake, bake your own
using liquid vegetable oil or trans fat-free margarines you
can find at natural foods stores.
* Tally the combined trans fat and saturated fat. When you
read a food label, add the number of grams of trans fat and
saturated fat the food contains per serving. Keep the grand
total to less than 15 grams per day for most people. Better
yet, hold it to the single digits if you can.
* Buy more at natural foods stores. It’s not a guarantee
that what you buy will be good for you (yes, there is such
a thing as natural junk food). But most natural foods stores
shun products that contain partially hydrogenated oils and
other chemically altered or artificial ingredients.
The movement away from trans fat in foods is a public health
victory. As replacements are found, though, it’ll be
as important as ever to pay attention to food labels.
|
