Dangers Of Trans-Fat

[SiennaInLondon]

I have suddenly started hearing all these terror stories about Trans-fat whilst not quite understanding what it is. Can someone scientifically minded explain what it is and why countries like Denmark have banned it and others are following suit? As someone very concerned with diet, not just for weight but also for ageing and the future, I find these reports worrying. What should we cut out of our diets and will the UK follow Denmark's lead?

 

[tott]

http://www.mercola.com/2003/jul/19/trans_fat.htm#

It's not good at all...

 

[LilyGirl]

they're so not good that someone from an actual US federal agency (the FDA perhaps) was quoted saying no amount of transfats is safe. other than the obvious culprits margarine and shortening and anything cooked in them (it turns out that butter isn't so bad after all!), transfats are mostly found in packaged cookies and crackers -- basically anything that tastes buttery and has a long shelf-life. for those who eat a lot of this stuff, it will take some getting used to (I have to say, non-transfat oreos suck!), but in general, it's healthier to avoid these foods anyway, transfats or not.

 

[Erin]

What should we cut out of our diets

Basically fast food... with the exceptions of items like salads (and grilled meat) and most Subway sandwiches. The real offenders are greasy foods, like french fries (those are BAD), hamburgers, deep-fat-fried chicken, etc.

Also, try to live by the "nothing in a bag" rule. A lot of chips and packaged goodies have bad fats. With the exception of Nutrigrain bars and popcorn, most of what I eat does not come from a bag.

Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[fashionicon]

What you need to look for is Omega 3 Fats= Good Fat. Fish,Salmon,etc,etc.

Luckily companies are now giving us healthier alternatives to try like Baked Lays. The keyword there is BAKED, so they are not fried. Making them more better for you.

Trans Fat goes straight to the artieries making them become clogged after a while.

 

[LilyGirl]

but even with baked lays or other baked not fried foods, stay away from flavors like sour cream & onion which usually have transfats (you need to check the ingredients for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils).

and the real problem with transfats is not just that they clog your arteries (regular real fats do that too) -- it's that they may cause cancer.

 

[Erin]

they may cause cancer.

Hasn't this been an on-again, off-again subject? I think they've been testing this for years, but have not found any real hard evidence that it leads particularly to cancer.

Either way, I stay away from them... mostly because since I follow a healthy diet, they're never included, anyway.

 

[Curious]

I'm not sure about the cancer aspect of them, but I do know that one of the reasons why they're more dangerous than saturated fats (which are dangerous in their own right) is that in addition to raising bad cholesterol levels, they also lower good cholesterol levels

 

[Hanne]

Its bad allright, it causes the kolesterol level in your blood to rise, which increases the risk of clotted arteries, and ultimately blood clot. Those yummy little Orios for instance used to have trans-fat in them - now they don't

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Oh I found a great trans fat website... it is asking for a blanket ban although I imagine trans fat is only a western problem

http://www.bantransfats.com/

 

[Tinuviel]

Those yummy little Orios for instance used to have trans-fat in them - now they don't

They don't anymore? how do you know? I haven't had an Oreo since I heard about the transfat and that was ages & ages ago.

 

[elschic111]

ooh yes i can comment on this one..

dad's a cardiologist so nothing with partially hydrogenated oil has been in our household for ages..with the exception of ben and jerry's, which i refuse to give up ..

almost everything processed contains trans fats. a rule of thumb for going grocery shopping is to try to stick to the outer edges of the store--veggies, fruit, fish, lean meat, eggs, nuts, etc. stay away from the inside of the store (which is where all the chips and cookies and everything are..).

good fats are important. there are basically 3 good kinds of fat. as one poster noted already, omega 3's are good. you can get those from fish like salmon as well as flaxseed (although be careful--don't buy ground flaxseed in a transparent container). olive oil is also good. finally, fats from nuts are good. but if you are a pb lover, buy natural pb--because the regular kind has partially hydrogenated oil.

ok hope that helped someone!

 

[stersita]

does margarine have this?

 

[elschic111]

most margarines do.

some researchers developed a margarine with good fats only, called Smart Balance. it is SO good.

 

[Sweets]

is it good for baking?

 

[elschic111]

oops sorry i didnt see that..are you asking about smart balance?

yes, it's supposed to be. i'm pretty sure on the package it says it can withstand heat.

but my mom is a great cook and i take her advice--which is if you are going to bake, might as well make it good, which means using real butter anyways

 

[Sweets]

a better margerine- earthbalance- soooooo delicious

 

[*Happiness*]

Yeah Trans Fat is NOOOO GOOD!!! I remember a while back I bought some girl scout cookies from my neighbors daughters (to help them out of course...:innoncent: and after I bought the FIVE boxes of girl scout cookies....I read the ingredients and TransFat is in the cookies....I threw all FIVE boxes in the garbage. It's just not worth the stress of unhealthy eating.

 

[*Happiness*]

oops sorry i didnt see that..are you asking about smart balance?

yes, it's supposed to be. i'm pretty sure on the package it says it can withstand heat.

but my mom is a great cook and i take her advice--which is if you are going to bake, might as well make it good, which means using real butter anyways

I agree...butter is better. also here's a trick...flies will not touch margarine. You can leave it out all day and they won't touch it. Now if a nasty fly won't touch margarine...WHY ARE PEOPLE EATING IT!?!?!?!?!

 

[SiennaInLondon]

^^ OOOH interesting point!!

I don't touch dairy if I can help it (other than the occasional choc bar) because no other animal on Earth has milk past weaning, and especially that of another animal. Also a lot of people in Asia are lactose intolerant.

LISTEN TO NATURE PEOPLE!