We’ve all been learning about trans fats in recent months. Food companies are announcing proudly that their products are now “trans fat free”. The City Council of Cleveland wrote legislation to possibly ban trans fat in the cities’ restaurants. Restaurants around the country are announcing they are “trans fat free”, or will be soon. Many people are still confused as to why trans fats are the new nutrition dilemma.

Why You Should Care: Because trans fats can kill you! Despite hundreds of medications, medical procedures, and medical research, heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. When you get your cholesterol checked, you’ll receive a bunch of numbers, including your total cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) level, HDL (high density lipoprotein) level, and the LDL/HDL ratio. A high ratio, along with high total cholesterol, increases the risk for heart disease.

The types of fats we eat affect our blood cholesterol levels. The LDL cholesterol is what many describe as “BAD”, and the HDL cholesterol is what we know of as “GOOD”. Trans fats, when compared to saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats are the worst for your blood cholesterol level. Unsaturated fats tend to lower the harmful LDL cholesterol levels, leaving the beneficial HDL level the same. Saturated fats tend to raise the LDL, but leave the HDL alone. Trans fats not only increase the harmful LDL, but decrease the protective HDL. Trans fats have also been shown to increase inflammation (tiny tears in the artery walls), which raises the risk for heart disease.

How much trans fat should we be limited to? The American Heart Association recommends we consume no more than 1% of our daily calories from trans fat. That means the person who consumes an average of 2000 calories a day should limit trans fat intake to 2.2 grams per day. The average adult female should consume about 1500 calories a day, limiting trans fat intake to 1.7 grams per day.

What foods contain trans fat? Trans fats exist in very small amounts naturally in some dairy and meat products. Evidence is still lacking to tell us if naturally occurring trans fats are as harmful as “manmade” ones. The main source of trans fat in the American diet is found in processed foods, including baked products, margarines, shortening, snacks, candies, etc. On the ingredient list of food products, trans fats are found in food that contains hydrogenated (partially or fully) oils. The United States Department of Agriculture now requires the amount of trans fat to be put on nutrition labels. Any food product containing .5 grams of trans fat or more per serving must list the amount (if a product contains .5 grams, the label would list it as containing 1 gram trans fat).

What if the nutrition label says “trans fat free”? Many consumers see the new green “trans fat free” labels and believe the item should be healthy, but “trans fat free” can be deceiving. Any label that says trans fat free may actually contain 0 to .4 grams of trans fat per serving. The key words here are per serving. Americans typically eat larger portions than nutrition labels list as a serving. Here’s an example: a food product says “trans fat free”, and the label says it contains 0 grams trans fat per serving. Included on the ingredients list is hydrogenated soybean oil. We can assume the food contains about .4 grams of trans fat per serving. If we consume 2 servings of the food, we have eaten about .8 grams of trans fat, and if we have 3 times what the label lists as a serving, about 1.2 grams (that’s almost the daily limit for a person on a 1500 calorie diet from one food item). If we choose a few of these “trans fat free” items containing hydrogenated oils, we have likely exceeded the safe limit for trans fats.

Even more startling is the realization many food products advertised to children contain more than the recommended limit in just one serving. Vanilla wafers cookies, for example. The average 4-year-old child consumes around 1000 calories a day. One serving of KeeblerÒ Vanilla Wafers contains 3 grams of trans fat. Over the course of a day, that 4-year-old may be eating way more than the recommended limit of trans fat, and starting to damage their arteries at that young age.

So, what’s a health conscious consumer to do? The best advice in general is to avoid processed food. Eat the way our grandparents ate. Most meals were homemade, and seasoned using spices and herbs from the cupboard. Dining out was a luxury. Restaurant meals are tricky - right now, ingredients are not required on menus, but they must provide nutrition information if you ask. Be a conscientious consumer and ask what type of oils they use. Most restaurant desserts, including cakes, pies, cheesecakes, etc., are very high in trans fats, so do your homework before you splurge; split dessert with a friend or family member.

When grocery shopping, avoid foods that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils as ingredients. Go for whole foods rather than processed: potatoes rather than potato chips; fruit rather than fruit snacks; boiled brown rice rather than pre-seasoned boxed rice. Check all labels - you may be surprised that some foods you never would have expected to contain trans fats do. Bread, for instance. It’s difficult to find commercially prepared bread that doesn’t contain hydrogenated oil. Many food manufacturers are switching to healthier options now, as a result of consumers’ demand. The Breadsmith in Lakewood provides nutrition information for all their breads, and they do not use hydrogenated oils. Better yet, make your own bread and baked products, avoiding shortening and margarine. Use butter or oil, depending on the recipe. Rather than eating margarine on vegetables, try olive oil with herbs and spices. Instead of margarine or butter on toast, try natural peanut butter.

It can be difficult to make healthy diet choices. Trans fats are one of many food compounds in the news lately that have caused “nutrition confusion.” Three main guidelines are valuable tools to a healthy eating style: 1. Eat lots of plant foods (whole grains, fruits and vegetables). 2. Avoid processed foods. 3. Eat more meals at home. Be a scrupulous label reader, and ask about food you order in a restaurant. Good luck with becoming trans fat free, your arteries will thank you.

Annie Stahlheber, MS, RD, LD, CSN is a Registered Dietitian specializing in preventive health, wellness, and sports nutrition. See http://nutrainer.googlepages.com.