Trans fats are hidden in your foods, even in products claiming that they are “trans fat-free”!
According to the FDA, a product containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving may state “Trans fat 0 g” on the Nutrition Facts panel. This gives manufacturers permission to limit the portion sizes they list to amounts providing just under 0.5 grams of trans fat to avoid having to label them.
Read more about the FDA's proposed ban on artificial trans fats
Trans fats are amongst the most dangerous (if not the most dangerous) ingredients in our food supply and must be strictly avoided. They increase total blood cholesterol and LDL (the bad cholesterol), while lowering HDL (the good cholesterol). They also decrease insulin sensitivity affecting blood sugar balance, and cause a rise in apolipoprotein A, another risk factor for heart disease, as well as enhance the production of pro-inflammatory hormones (prostaglandin E2) – bad news for arthritics or anyone with pain or allergies.
Trans fats are hiding in margarine, peanut butter, cookies, pies, other baked goods, breaded foods, chocolate bars, and especially in products marketed for children.
Read more about chemicals in cookies
Read ingredient labels carefully. Avoid any foods that list “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredients list. The presence of partially hydrogenated oils means that the product contains trans fats, despite what the labels say.
Image: Tom Magliery
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