Make the transition from trans fat: new labeling regulations to come should help

THUMBNAIL: Nutrition Matters

You've probably heard that McDonald's is making the transition to a more healthful oil, specifically one that contains less trans fat. While you might think for a moment that this is a noble public health initiative, the more likely reason is that McDonald's is anticipating pending government regulations that will soon require food companies to include the amount of trans fat in their foods on the Nutrition Facts label.

A newly-released report from the National Academies of Science's Institute of Medicine (NAS/IOM) reveals that trans fat intake is associated with increased total cholesterol and the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and, therefore, risk of heart disease. The majority of the evidence also shows that trans fat lowers the "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Even saturated fat, although it raises total and LDL cholesterol, doesn't decrease the "good" HDL cholesterol. The report concludes that people should minimize trans fatty acids, or trans fat, in their diets as much as possible. Now that scientific consensus exists about the harmful effects of trans fat, the labeling regulation could be agreed upon within the next year.

Foods in the typical American diet that contain trans fat include processed baked goods and pastries, fried foods, and, in smaller amounts, dairy products and meats. Trans fat in processed foods is a result of hydrogenation, a process that changes liquid oil into a more solid form, which makes it easier to use in baking and frying. Over the past 50 years, manufacturers have used hydrogenated oils in an attempted to decrease animal fats, which contain saturated fat and cholesterol. But now, research supports limiting both saturated fat and trans fat in your diet.

Together, saturated fat and trans fat currently make up an average of 15 percent of total calories in the American diet _ saturated fat accounts for between 12 to 14 percent of total energy, while trans fatty acids contribute about two to two and a half percent of total energy. It is recommended that saturated fat contribute ten percent or less of total energy in the diet, while trans fat should be minimized as much as possible.

Soon, you will be able to determine from a food's label the exact amount of trans fat it contains. Currently, the amount of trans fat is only included in the "total fat" value. So determining the amount of trans fat in a food from its label is difficult, whereas other types of fat, such as saturated fat, are delineated clearly on a separate line beneath the total fat value. Some have suggested that trans fat and saturated fat be combined on one line, since the two fats have similar adverse health effects. But to date, the FDA supports the position that saturated and trans fat values be listed separately.

Since trans fats are found in many of the foods we eat, they are unavoidable in the typical American diet. Manufacturers and food service establishments are likely to follow McDonald's lead and switch to a trans fat-free oil. But until they do, and until you can see the grams of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label, here are some things you can do to limit your intake of trans fat.

Switch from stick margarine to tub margarine, like Promise _ the more liquid the fat, the less trans fat it has. A good choice is margarine with less than two grams of saturated fat per serving.

Better yet, use oil in place of margarine, such as olive oil on bread or canola oil in baking.

When eating out, limit fried foods, such as French fries, or fried chicken _ most frying oils have been hydrogenated to withstand high heat.

Stick to serving size recommendations per the nutrition label as much as possible for processed foods like chips, cookies, crackers, etc. Eating the whole bag or box would be nothing but trans trouble!

Look on the ingredient list for processed food products made without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. If there's hydrogenated oil listed, you should assume the product has some trans fat _ it's just a question of how much until the label says exactly.

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