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Health: The real scoop on trans fat

An FDA rule went into effect on Monday that officially put artificial trans-fats on the chopping block for most foods at U.S. restaurants and grocery stores. Lindsay Malone, RD, explains trans fats and why they are not part of a healthy diet.

CLEVELAND – Artificial trans-fats are officially on the chopping block for U.S. restaurants and grocery stores.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule into effect for most foods on Monday June 18.

Manufactured trans fats, which are found in packaged and processed foods are designed to give foods shelf-life, but according to Lindsay Malone, RD, of Cleveland Clinic, they do not come without risks.

“Consumption of trans fats actually increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes,” she said. “They can increase your LDL cholesterol, which is your bad cholesterol, and can decrease your good cholesterol – your HDL cholesterol.”

To avoid trans fats, Malone said consumers should be on the lookout for anything that can sit on the shelf for several months at a time without going bad – which is a clue that the product likely contains trans fats.

Common items that contain trans fats include ready-made frosting, cake mixes, pre-packaged baked goods, and dairy-free coffee creamers. Fried foods often contain them as well.

Malone said spotting trans fats can actually get tricky. If a product’s serving size has less than half a gram of trans fat, food manufacturers can actually label them as trans fat-free.

So when looking at the nutrition label, if a product lists zero grams of trans fat, consumers actually have to search the ingredient list to see what’s really in there.

Malone said there are four key words to look out for.

“You want to look at the ingredient list and look for the words ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil – that’s also trans-fat,” she said.

There are ways to add flavor to your coffee using products that don’t contain trans fat, such as using traditional organic half and half for coffee cream. Also, plant-based creams – such as an almond or coconut cream, are available in varieties that are flavored, but don’t contain sugar.

When it comes to baked goods, Malone said it’s always better to make them at home in order to have complete control over the ingredients. Look for alternatives for fats such as extra virgin olive oil or avocados – which can be used as an alternative and more nutritional source of fat in baked goods.

Since there are no documented health benefits of consuming trans fats, Malone advises people to avoid them as much as possible.

The World Health Organization (WHO) ALSO recently made headlines when it called on governments and food makers worldwide to eliminate the use of Trans Fats in food products by the year 2023.

The WHO estimates that each year, consumption of trans fats leads to more than 500,000 deaths from heart disease.

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