By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Wellness

It’s no secret that trans fat is the worst kind of fat for your health. And yet, according to the FDA, more than 40 percent of the food on grocery store shelves contains trans fat. What makes this synthetic fat so dangerous is that it has been linked to increased LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels. And it’s hiding in places you might not expect.

Trans fat may also contribute to our cells’ resistance to insulin, and this may in turn lead to obesity. By changing the way our cells behave, trans fat also contributes to diabetes—and could be make you more prone to developing metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome can also be a forerunner to heart attacks and Alzheimer’s disease.

If this wasn’t reason enough to avoid trans fats, research from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill links high trans-fat intake with an increased growth of polyps that can lead to colorectal cancer. Study participants who ate 6.5 grams of trans fats daily were 86 percent more likely to have polyps than those who took in only half that amount.

So what is this phony fat? Trans fat is formed when oil is hydrogenated, or processed to become solid. When margarine and shortening were first invented, trans fats became the ingredient of choice because they were cheaper, more shelf-stable, and thought to be healthier than butter. But, even though we now know how dangerous they are, they are still widely used in a number of foods, including stick margarine, vegetable shortening and fried foods.

Until recently, trans fat was also found in most commercially packaged baked goods, crackers, pastries, cookies and many other prepared products. However, in 2006, when it became mandatory for companies to list trans fat on food labels, many manufacturers changed their formulas to reduce the amount of trans fat their products contain. You can now find soft margarines and packaged foods that boast “trans fat-free” on their label.

But just because a product claims to be trans fat-free, doesn’t mean it is. Many foods still contain small amounts of trans fat even if they list zero grams of trans fat in the Nutrition Facts panel. Thanks to a loophole in the law, manufacturers can use up to 0.5 grams of the synthetic fat and still say that it contains zero trans fat.

To avoid trans fats completely, check the ingredients list for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.” If you spot either of these words, the product contains at least some trans fat. And if these terms are near the top of the ingredient list, drop the box and run the other way!

What should you look for? Instead of hydrogenated fats, switch to products that contain monounsaturated fat found in olive, canola, and peanut oils and certain polyunsaturated fats from nuts or safflower oils. Look for foods prepared with these healthier alternatives and try using them in your own cooking and baking.

If you can’t find truly trans fat-free foods in your regular grocery store, check out a health food or whole-foods store. And be on your guard in restaurants! Unless the menu specifies otherwise, many fried foods are still prepared with hydrogenated oils.

References:

McKelvey W. A case-control study of colorectal adenomatous polyps and consumption of foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 1999;8(6):519-524.

Teegala SM. Consumption and health effects of trans fatty acids: a review. Journal of AOAC International. 2009;92(5):1250-1257.

Wallace SK. Trans-fatty acids and non-lipid risk factors. Current Atherosclerosis Reports. 2009;11(6):423-433