Reduce your Cholesterol Levels… How to Remove Trans Fats from your Diet?
What are Trans fats?
These are fats formed when unsaturated oils (typically corn, soybean, and safflower oil) are altered via hydrogenation to form a solid. (Bralley, 2001). This process changes the configuration of natural unsaturated fatty acid chains from a cis to trans; hence the name “trans” fats. By changing the structure of the fat molecule, it alters it’s recognition by the body to be more like that of saturated fats (animal fat). Therefore these fats physiologically behave in the body in a similar way as animal fats: like pork, beef, lamb, etc. This can have many negative effects on the body.
What effects do they have on my body?
Trans fats, along with saturated fats, are associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke to name a few. These conditions are developed because both of these fats raise our LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Yet, in addition to this, unlike the saturated fats, trans fats also reduce our HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) (Balch, 1997). This impact is quite harmful, since low HDL has been shown to be more of a predicative risk for cardiovascular disease than high LDL. Trans fats also interfere with the body’s ability to utilize and metabolize essential fatty acids, which perform various vital functions like nerve conduction, hormone production, immune function, and many others. Finally, they are also suspected with some cancers, like breast cancer (Pizzorno, 2000).
Why don’t I see these fats on food labels?
In the food industry the manufacturers want to have favorable ratios on their labels, therefore they give misleading information. However, as consumers, you can calculate the amount of trans fats in a product. Simply subtract the amount of listed saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats from the total fat content, and the remainder amount is the quantity of trans fats in the product.
For example a label that states:
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TOTAL FAT 8.2g
Polyunsaturates 0.3g
Monounsaturates 2.3g
Saturates 5.0g
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Would indicate that there are 0.6g of trans fatty acids in the products serving (8.2-[0.3+2.3+5.0])
You can also determine if a product has trans fats by simply looking at the ingredients to see if there are “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils” in the product, or items like margarine, or shortening.
Where are trans fats found?
In pretty much everything; everything processed that is. Some products with high amounts are bakery products like cakes, cookies, Danish pastries, doughnuts, and pies, as well as corn chips, crackers, French fries, peanut butter, pizza, potato chips, and all margarine, and shortening. (Bralley, 2001).
Ask Dr. Maria Papasodaro, your Naturopathic Doctor how to eliminate these bad trans fats from the diet and begin your journey to wellness by incorporating essential fatty acids in the diet, like fish, olive, hemp, and flax oils just to name a few in order to raise your HDL levels and lower the LDL cholesterol in the body.
Dr. Maria Papasodaro, ND
A Healing Place
247 Main St. North, Brampton
(905) 459-4385
References:
Balch, J. and P. Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing 2nd Ed. Avery Publishing Group: New York, 1997.
Bralley, J., and Lord, R. Laboratory Evaluation in Molecular Medicine. The Institute for Advances in Molecular Medicine: Norcross, 2001.
Pizzorno, J, and Murray, T. Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Ed. Churchill Livingstone: Toronto, 2000.
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