What’s up with the whole FDA-Trans Fats Ban?

For years the evidence has steadily mounted on the adverse health effects tied to the consumption of Trans-fatty acids. After years of lobbying from the health industry the FDA has finally taken steps to remove this dangerous additive from manufactured foods.
The FDA has determined that artificial Trans-fatty acids can no longer be deemed safe for consumption. So the FDA has given manufacturing companies three years to remove this dangerous additive from their products.
This move by the FDA may seem sudden to you if you are unfamiliar with trans-fatty acids. But knowing what they are and where they hide is essential if you want to avoid them.
What are Trans-fats?
Trans-fat, also known as trans-fatty acids are a kind of unsaturated fat. While natural Trans fats are present in very small quantities in meat and dairy products, these naturally occurring trans-fats are not the heath bombs that manufactured trans-fats are. Manufactured trans-fats became a common additive in packaged goods such as snack foods, margarine and commercially prepared baked goods during the 1950s.
Trans-fats are produced by implementing the ‘hydrogenation’ process on oil. It solidifies the oil changing it into ‘hydrogenated fat’ that can be used for deep fat frying and is utilized in various processed foods to prolong their shelf life.

                                                                                  “If it has a shelf life longer than you, don’t eat it.” Kris Carr

Just knowing how they are synthesized doesn’t really tell the whole story though. Continue reading to learn why they are so toxic to your health and well-being.

Health Dangers of Trans-fats
• Trans-fats boost the levels of LDL aka’ bad cholesterol’ while simultaneously decreasing the HDL or ‘good cholesterol’ concentration in your body. *
• Trans-fats induce inflammation in your body and adversely impact the endothelium, which is the lining around your arteries. Both these changes further augment your chances of getting cardiovascular diseases. *
• The consumption of trans-fatty acids is associated with stokes, as well as obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are prominent precursors of type II diabetes. *
And if that’s not scary enough;
• Trans Fat can also mess with your mind! New studies also adversely link higher consumption of Trans fats with impaired memory. **

Studies have clearly exhibited that a diet with a mere 2% of the calories coming from trans fats increases your likelihood of developing one or more of these chronic diseases by a staggering 23% Of the roughly 2000 calories consumed by the average American, two percent is equivalent to just 40 calories.*

                                                                   “Trans fats increase the shelf life of the food but reduce the shelf life of the person,”                                                                                                                           (Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.)

Do You Really Know What You’re Eating?

A recent study of 4,340 top-selling packaged foods in the US found that 391 of the 4340 products contained                                            hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Yet 84 percent of these foods were labelled as having ‘0 trans-fat’. ***

Biggest offenders were the processed potatoes, cookies, crackers, and breakfast cereal category. Because the law permits the manufacturers to label products containing 0 to 0.5g trans-fat as ‘0 trans-fat’ these deceptive labeling practices trick the consumer into grossly underestimating how much trans fats they are actually getting.

Which foods typically contain trans-fats?
• Peanut Butter Spread
• Whipped toppings
• Bread
• Non-dairy creamers
• Pudding mixes
• Granola bars
• Cereals
• Breakfast bars
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Pretzels
• Microwaveable popcorn
• Most packaged baked goods
• Frozen pies
• Ice cream
• Packaged frozen foods

What you can do while the ban is being implemented?

Understand how what you consume directly affects your health and well-being, and take steps to protect yourself.

• Shop the perimeter of the store and focus on fresh, or minimally processed frozen, fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, cheeses and dairy.
• Limit your intake of highly processed foods.
• Read your labels! Look beyond the Nutrition facts label (because we now know they lie) and read the list of ingredients watching for Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated oil and, if possible, steer clear of items containing this ingredient. Many companies have already taken the steps to remove this dangerous additive from their products. And you may be able to find a healthier alternative just by switching brands.

So, now that the wheels have been set in motion manufactures have three years in which to find a viable alternative to Trans- fats as per the FDA Ban. A huge amount of credit behind this implementation goes to the hard working professor of University of Illinois, Fred Kummerow. Kummerow who is 100 years old has been fighting for the past 60 years to get trans fats removed from our food supply.
As a young researcher he discovered the devastating effect of trans-fats while studying the arteries of people who had succumbed to heart disease. Since then, he has lobbied tirelessly to have trans-fats eliminated from our foods. He finally sued the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA in 2013 when the organizations failed to take any action to ban trans fats despite the incontrovertible evidence proving it’s detrimental health effects .                                                                  At long last, the FDA has paid heed to Kummerow’s efforts and issued the ban.

With all the conflicting information out there it can be difficult to make healthy dietary choices. If you would like help in sifting through hype to arrive at an eating plan you can LIVE with. Shoot me an E-mail today. I’d be happy to sit down with you to assist you in figuring out what to adjust in your current diet to help you achieve your nutrition and health goals.

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Stacia         email: 2bfit.etown@gmail.com                                                                                                                                                                                                       2Bfit Certified Personal Training LLC

For further reading and sources cited in this article :
* http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/trans-mozaffarian-testimony/
** http://newsroom.heart.org/news/trans-fat-consumption-is-linked-to-diminished-memory-in-working-aged-adults?preview=01f0
*** http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/14_0161.htm