The Worst Fat Ever

by Maureen McNeish

Parish Nurse, St. Andrew's Church

There are fats and there are fats, but the worst of them all is the trans fat.  You may have heard of them.  You have likely purchased products that proudly proclaim “no trans fats”, or “trans fat free”.  Why are food product manufacturers boasting that their foods are low in trans fats, or they are absent all together?  The reason has to do with the effect of trans fats on one’s cholesterol levels.  These trans fats raise your LDL levels (remember that is the so called bad cholesterol) while they simultaneously lower your HDL (that is the so called good cholesterol)

If your cholesterol levels are not controlled adequately, you could increase your risk of heart disease, stroke or possibly both. That is why it is important to have some idea of how trans fats differ from other sources of fat.  For years, ever since grade school, I have heard that cutting saturated fats from the diet was the way to go. It is true that we do better physically when we eat fewer saturated fats, and increase our consumption of mono fats and polyunsaturated fats.  Fats are necessary to a balanced diet, as they do contain certain fat-soluble vitamins, and promote a sense of satiety.  However, the level total fat intake should not exceed thirty per cent of our daily food intake.

When hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, we have hydrogenation.  This, in fact, is a trans fat.  Processed foods, such as: commercially baked biscuits, cookies, doughnuts, and cakes, contain trans fats. Manufacturers find foods produced this way last longer on the shelf. It is great for their profit margin but hard on your health:  Avoid these foods.  When you are making the effort to eat a balanced and healthy diet, check food labels.  If you purchase whole foods and less processed foods you will often avoid a lot of the trans fats, as they simply are not found in nature. Shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and tropical oils are all to be avoided, particularly for those concerned about heart health. The fats that occur naturally in some meats and dairy products are actually less harmful than trans fats.

God has blessed us with a marvelous array of fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes and sources of protein to partake of.  With a little thought and effort, we can learn to make better food choices. A good source of heart healthy food preparation ideas may be found by contacting the Canadian Heart and Stroke Association.