# Trans Fats



## GI Chef (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm glad to see that "Trans Fats" are being taken seriously in the public now. This stuff is the worst artery clogger out there. What's some other opinions about trans fats?


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## Brittany (Nov 10, 2006)

I personally try and avoid trans fats at all costs. Some of my family members now have heart problems from eating too many fatty foods when they were younger, and before this issue was taken seriously. I always try and read nutrition labels on products, and determine if it's healthy for me or not in that category.


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## Andy M. (Nov 11, 2006)

It's hard to disagree with what you said.  No question trans fats should be kept to a minimum in your diet as part of healthful eating.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 11, 2006)

I believe the jury is still out on if "Trans" fats are actually any worse for you than the "Saturated" fats they mimic.

The big problem is that trans fats are still "technically" _*unsaturated *_fats ... so the nutritional labeling didn't have to list them as "saturated" fats (which is how the body metabolizes them) - until recently when Trans Fats had to be listed on the labels.

Limit your trans + saturated fats ... that is a good thing. But, I do not believe that *Trans Fat* in and of itself is any greater killer than pure saturated fats.


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## Gretchen (Nov 11, 2006)

Limit your trans + saturated fats ... that is a good thing. But, I do not believe that *Trans Fat* in and of itself is any greater killer than pure saturated fats.

But that is sort of the point isn't it--we have discovered that saturated fats ARE bad for our health. And now we have discovered that a basically man made fat that exists only in order to prolong shelf life (and thusly a marketing tool) is the same thing and therefore should be eliminated or severely limited.


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## college_cook (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm fairly certain that trans fat is considered an LDL- Low-Density Lipoprotein, more commonly known as "bad cholesterol".  As their name implies, LDLs weigh very little, and as such, are more easily carried by the blood, and therefore have greater chance to stick to your artery walls.  So while it may be metabolized as a saturated fat, metabolism really only deals with the conversion of nutrients into an enrgy source usable by your body.  Trans fatrs may be healthier in regards to metabolism.  However, they will most certainly clog your arteries faster than saturated fats.


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## ntbsnthlrchn (Nov 12, 2006)

"dr." mercola's a quack, just so you know!


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## Chopstix (Nov 12, 2006)

To avoid transfats, I cook/bake almost all our food from scratch.  I very rarely buy processed food, even pastries. I bake pies very rarely because I try not to use Crisco if I can help it.  So it is with a lot of relief that I came across reading about Crisco's zero-gram transfat product.  

Has anyone used this?  How was your experience?  The only Crisco available here is the original formula with the transfats.  I use it very rarely. Can't wait to find Crisco zero-transfat in the stores here...


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## Gossie (Nov 12, 2006)

I mostly use olive oil.  Is that bad too?


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## boufa06 (Nov 12, 2006)

Cindy said:
			
		

> I mostly use olive oil.  Is that bad too?



You are definitely on the right track.  If it's a good brand of olive oil, it's beneficial to your overall health.  In any event, you are no worse off than using any alternative oil or fat.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 12, 2006)

college_cook said:
			
		

> I'm fairly certain that trans fat is considered an LDL- Low-Density Lipoprotein, more commonly known as "bad cholesterol". As their name implies, LDLs weigh very little, and as such, are more easily carried by the blood, and therefore have greater chance to stick to your artery walls. So while it may be metabolized as a saturated fat, metabolism really only deals with the conversion of nutrients into an enrgy source usable by your body. Trans fatrs may be healthier in regards to metabolism. However, they will most certainly clog your arteries faster than saturated fats.


 
Actually - no. Trans Fats are considered saturated fats. Saturated fats stimulate the body to _produce_ cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats help lower the levels of LDL and VLDL (bad cholesterol) and don't mess with the "good guy" HDL; Polyunsaturated fats lower both the bad LDL and the good HDL. This is why olive oil is a good fat ....it is low in saturated fat (cholesterol producer), high in Monounsaturated fat (reduces the bad cholesterol and leaves the good cholesterol lowering stuff alone) and low in Polyunsaturated fats (that reduce both the HDL along with the LDL).

Humm ... simple explanation ... the LDL/VLDL is like cholesterol "litter bugs" leaving it around in the blood vessels and arteries - and the HDL is is like the highway "cleanup" crew that comes along and picks it up and hauls it off to the dump. 

Trans Fats are like kids in Halloween costumes behaving badly. While they are "chemically" still unsaturated fats ... their costume conversion from CIS to TRANS configuration causes them look and act like saturated fats - stimulating cholesterol production- but they are still the same kids. Apparently, hydrogenation transforms mono fats (good guys) easier than poly fats (bad guys because they also lower the good HDL). Straightening a kid out is good - but straightening a chain of fatty acids out is bad.

So, no matter how you want to spin it ... trans fat is basically just unsaturated fat that, in the body, acts like saturated fat. Although, I do admit that you would need to know the percentage of TRANS conversion of mono and poly unsaturated fats to begin to make some calculations on the affects to LDL and HDL levels .... I couldn't find a good "scientifically sound" source. 

*GI Chef* alluded to something earlier ... ingested cholesterol is processed differently than the fatty acids. And, although not generally mentioned, even fats from plant sources (corn oil, olive oil, cannola oil, etc.) contian some cholesterol .... just generally less than 1% of that from animal sources - so it gets written off as 0% according to the "rounding" and "volume % limits" of labeling laws.

*Chopstix* - The new "Trans Fat Free" Crisco still has trans fat. To be honest I don't know what method they used to come into labeling compliance to make that claim. I did find something on their website a couple of months ago that talked about it ... where they admitted it really wasn't 100% trans fat free ... but they didn't go into details other than talk about labeling laws.

*Cindy* - Olive oil is very healty. It is very low in saturated and polyunsaturated fats - and very high in monounsaturated fats.

*Gretchen* - Yes, we have learned some things. We learned that if you ate more than two eggs a week you would die ... and then we learned that wasn't true after all. The truth is ... food is finally being given some serious interest. Sometimes the results are "bad science" and "hysterical" reaction ... which makes it even tougher for good science to be accepted.

Trans Fats are as evil as Saturated Fats. The labeling laws in the US are probably even more evil.


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## Chopstix (Nov 12, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> *Chopstix* - The new "Trans Fat Free" Crisco still has trans fat. To be honest I don't know what method they used to come into labeling compliance to make that claim. I did find something on their website a couple of months ago that talked about it ... where they admitted it really wasn't 100% trans fat free ... but they didn't go into details other than talk about labeling laws.
> .


 
Aw shoooot!  Down with labeling laws!


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## attie (Nov 12, 2006)

Well Michael, I won't be doing the "Quote" box on that post, way to much information for me to understand.
Give me your opinion of this deep frying oil if you will.
Nutrition Information :-
Serving per 100ml
Energy - 3439KJ/819kcal
Protein - 0g
Fat - 91g
    Saturated - 45%
    Monounsaturated - 44%
    Polyunsaturated - 11%
    Trans Fatty Acid - 0%
Cabohydrate - 0g
Sugar - 0g
Sodium - 0g
Others - 0g
Composition :- Vegetable oil, antifoam [900]
No artificial antioxidant


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## amber (Nov 13, 2006)

wow, saturated fat is high on your label I think?  What is your type of oil?  We dont list energy on our labels so I was wondering what that means..always thought that was the same as carbs but I see that listed separately.


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## Andy M. (Nov 14, 2006)

amber said:
			
		

> wow, saturated fat is high on your label I think? What is your type of oil? We dont list energy on our labels so I was wondering what that means..always thought that was the same as carbs but I see that listed separately.


 

Energy is what we see as calories on US labels.


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## suzyQ3 (Nov 14, 2006)

Chopstix said:
			
		

> To avoid transfats, I cook/bake almost all our food from scratch.  I very rarely buy processed food, even pastries. I bake pies very rarely because I try not to use Crisco if I can help it.  So it is with a lot of relief that I came across reading about Crisco's zero-gram transfat product.
> 
> Has anyone used this?  How was your experience?  The only Crisco available here is the original formula with the transfats.  I use it very rarely. Can't wait to find Crisco zero-transfat in the stores here...


Although we haven't made a scientific comparison test, we couldn't tell the difference using the transfat-free Crisco for pie crusts. 

I for one am a big proponent of labeling and am very glad that transfat is now listed.


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## suzyQ3 (Nov 14, 2006)

_So, no matter how you want to spin it ... trans fat is basically just unsaturated fat that, in the body, acts like saturated fat. Although, I do admit that you would need to know the percentage of TRANS conversion of mono and poly unsaturated fats to begin to make some calculations on the affects to LDL and HDL levels .... I couldn't find a good "scientifically sound" source._

According to the Harvard School of Public Health:

_Trans fats are even worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats          because they raise bad LDL and lower good HDL. They also fire inflammation,(6)          an overactivity of the immune system that has been implicated in heart          disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. While you should          limit your intake of saturated fats, it is important to eliminate trans          fats from partially hydrogenated oils from your diet. (Manufacturers must          now list          trans fats on the food label, right beneath saturated fats.)_


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## bethzaring (Nov 14, 2006)

Not really being interested in Crisco products, I was not aware of this transfat free Crisco mentioned here.  What I was able to find on this product is that this is a blend of fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil.  I stay away from any hydrogenated oil products, let alone a fully hydrogenated product.  My information comes from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association  June 2006 issue I found online.


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## suzyQ3 (Nov 14, 2006)

bethzaring said:
			
		

> Not really being interested in Crisco products, I was not aware of this transfat free Crisco mentioned here.  What I was able to find on this product is that this is a blend of fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil.  I stay away from any hydrogenated oil products, let alone a fully hydrogenated product.  My information comes from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association  June 2006 issue I found online.


This explains the new Crisco fairly well, even comparing  pie crusts made with the old and  new product.  I  agree with its conclusion that the best crust is a combination of  Crisco and butter and have always made crusts using both. Since I use Crisco for only pie crusts and eat pie crusts so rarely, I'm not really worried about any of the fat involved.


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## urmaniac13 (Nov 14, 2006)

Well I wouldn't say saturated fats are BETTER for you than trans-fats, but if you are in a situation where some amount of solid fat is required, and both type are equally guilty, why not go for the real flavour (butter, lard etc) instead of imitations (margarine, veg. shortening etc.).... at the end of the day, it is all about the matter of taking them in moderations....


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 19, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> I do not believe that *Trans Fat* in and of itself is any greater killer than pure saturated fats.


 
Thanks for starting this thread GI Chef, and thanks for that link to the Harvard site SuzyQ!
*Boy was I wrong!!!*  I was complacent and happy to ride along believing outdated research which had originally shown that trans fat and saturated fat had essentially the same impact on cholesterol levels. And, I was living in a Alice in Wonderland world believing others things that I had always been taught like trans fats are only in hydrogenated fats, and that cholesterol only comes from animal fat sources. 

Things I learned from doing a lot of research of newer studies this week:

Plants also produce and contain cholesterol - although significantly lower than animal sources. So low that it's hardly worth mentioning - and so low it doesn't have to be listed on nutritional labels.

Trans fat is not limited to hyrogenated oils - it is also naturally occuring in beef, lamb, goat, and pork fats; and in milk, butter, and cheeses. Although the research didn't mention game animals I would assume it would also include deer, antelope, moose, bear ... any milk producing mammal.

Trans fat _is_ the most insidious fat. Saturated fat raises both the LDL (bad) cholesterol and the good (HDL) cholesterol. Monounsaturated fat raises the good HDL and lowers the bad LDL. Polyunsaturated fats lower both the bad LDL and the good HDL. (The chart on the page SuzyQ provided is wrong about polyunsaturated fats - according to some of the research they quoted in that article - that's Harvard's fault not SuzyQ's). Polyunsaturated fats lower total cholesterol - but the ratio of LDL:HDL does not change, therefore they are both lowered. (ref: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 34, 1758-1763) 

Now, the following info came from another Harvard HSPH site ... or from one of the research studies referenced. I really wish I had bookmarked the specific site I'm going to reference below...  

What makes trans fat the really bad guy? Unlike what was previously thought that it just raised total serium cholesterol (LDL and HDL) like saturated fats - it does somethig different when looking at the affect on the ratio of LDL:HDL. Instead of raising both - it raises the LDL twice as much as saturated fats and lowers the HDL 1/2 the increase of the LDL ... sort of 2:-1 ratio. While this might keep the total cholesterol level equal ... it shifts the balance of good and evil!

*U.S. LABELING LAWS: Is it really 0g Trans Fat?*

Foods labeled _zero trans fat_ may still contain up to 0.5 grams _per serving_ of trans fat and stil be labeled as 0 trans fat (just as long as it is below 0.5 ... like 0.499999). (ref: HSPH website - I'm too lazy to go find the FDA website citation on labeling requirements which explains the odd "rounding" requirements which allow you to round down, but doesn't require you to round up). 

So, maybe my gradmother wasn't trying to kill us when she used lard and butter instead of Crisco and margarine to make her pie crusts?


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## suzyQ3 (Nov 19, 2006)

_So, maybe my gradmother wasn't trying to kill us when she used lard and butter instead of Crisco and margarine to make her pie crusts?_

And her crusts probably tasted better witht that combination. I just can't bring myself to buy lard...that word has become almost an epithet, hasn't it? So in lieu I will stick with a combination of butter and the new almost-trans-fat-free Crisco for good flavor and texture.

Thanks so much for all the research, Michael. Much appreciated. When all is said and done, probably the best approach is one of moderation  -- and enjoyment!


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## attie (Nov 19, 2006)

Michael, you've done a lot of research and understand much more than I do. I've tried to find the make up of all the oils, both vegetable and animal, available to us with little success. Without physically going down to the supplier and reading the labels I can find very little. From what I have found Canola seems to have come up the best, followed by peanut oil for heavy duty deep frying.
When taking in to consideration how Canola has been bagged so much by using GM seed etc, they have survived the onslaught.
For my purpose peanut oil is completely out of the question, we have so many people allergic to peanuts that I'd be in court more often than not, and when people found out that I was using it my customer bank would vanish.
I was surprised as to how badly coconut and palm oil fared with saturated fat, I personally like palm oil as it is hardy, tasteless and doesn't adhere to the equipment, it's very fine and drains well.
I can't find anything on lard, animal fat base, and it is the preferred deep frying oil here. I think it has "that" taste that the locals like.
All in all, I guess "in moderation" is the key factor combined with a varied diet.
I remain yours - still completely confused
Wayne


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## Corey123 (Dec 8, 2006)

New York has just passed a bill that mandates all of its eateries to get rid of any trans fats to cook food!!

Boston is now in the process of doing the same thing. Other cities and states may follow suit as well.


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