June 2004

Trans fats have been making the news, unfortunately not in a good way. Research has shown that they have negative effects on our health. It is important to know where trans fats can be found (and thereby avoided), why they are in our food, and what effect they can have on our bodies.

Unsaturated oils (soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, etc.) are considered good oils. They lower cholesterol in the blood and this effect is beneficial to us. However, for the producers of processed foods, unsaturated oils can be costly. They can become rancid (causing an off flavor and smell) when exposed to air and light, which makes them unusable for food preparation.

To overcome the problem of rancidity, companies use hydrogenated oils. These oils have been chemically changed so that there is less chance for rancidity, improving the shelf life of products as well as lengthening the time that an oil can be used for frying. All in all a good thing for companies, but not for us.

The process of hydrogenation not only produces oils that last longer, it also produces trans fats. The chemical makeup of trans fats is different than the fats found in nature. It is this fact that makes them bad for us, actually worse for us than saturated fats (the fats found in butter, red meat, cheese). Trans fats raise cholesterol, probably even more than saturated fats do.

Because of the negative effects of trans fats, the government has stated that all food labels must list the trans fat content of foods by 2006. In the meantime, we should be diligent in reading labels and recognizing where trans fats may be found. Any ingredient list that has partially hydrogenated oil contains trans fats. These food items include packaged baked goods, snack crackers, margarines, frozen and convenience foods and the list goes on.

Both adults and children are negatively affected by the consumption of trans fats. We want our children to have the best start in life as possible; therefore, we should be concerned about the amount of trans fats that our children consume. Limit the amount of processed foods that your child eats. Try to have fresh foods available rather than packaged foods. If you do use prepared foods, read the label and choose those that do not have partially hydrogenated oils or, if they do, be sure they are far down on the ingredient list.

Making your home trans fat free may be difficult at first, but by tackling it in small pieces it can be possible. Choose one or two food items a week that you will find replacements for when you go shopping. For example if you use a margarine that contains partially hydrogenated oils, read labels and find a margarine that does not contain any. Next week target a different item that is on your shopping list and start reducing your family's intake of trans fats.

Remember little changes go a long way. When you add all of the little changes together, they can make a big difference to your and your family's health.