It turns out that when it comes to fats it is not so much how much fat you consume but what type of fat you consume that is most important. There are 'good' fats and 'bad' fats, much like 'good' cholesterol and 'bad' cholesterol. The most dangerous types of fats appear to be trans-fatty acids.
Trans fatty acids (trans-fats) are artery-clogging fats that are formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. Trans-fatty acids are used instead of oil in many foods, particularly in fast food and packaged snacks such as chips, chicken nuggets and pizza, as well as bakery products including pies, doughnuts, biscuits and cakes.
Trans-fats are known to increase levels of low density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood, while lowering levels of high density lipoprotein ("good" cholesterol). They have also been associated with clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems including an increase the risk of heart disease.
According to the institute of Medicine there is no safe level of trans-fats.
While some foods like fried foods and baked goods are obvious sources of trans-fats, other processed foods, such as cereals, may also contain them. One tip to determine the amount of trans-fats in a food is to read the ingredient label and look for shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. The higher up on the list these ingredients appear, the more trans-fats you will be consuming.
Companies such as Nestle and Kraft have already started to make changes in the amounts of trans-fats in some of their products in response to concerns about its safety and threats of litigation.
According to one study a trans-fats diet reduced blood vessel function by 30% and lowered HDL ("good")-cholesterol levels by about one fifth, compared with a saturated fats diet. Previous research has shown that trans-fats, like saturated fats, also raise LDL ("bad")-cholesterol levels. This suggests that trans-fatty acids increase the risk of heart disease much more than saturated fats.
Dr Brett Hill's top 5 tips for reducing trans-fats:
1. Use butter instead of margarine
2. Use extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil as your oils of choice
3. Read the ingredient labels carefully
4. Avoid junk foods
5. Eat real foods - fruit, vegetables, nuts and good quality meats instead of processed foods
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