Trans Fats: What are they, and why you should avoid them

As of January 2006, the United States government has made it mandatory for all manufacturers to show trans fat content on the Nutrition Facts food label.

What are trans fats, and what role do they play in child nutrition?

Trans fats are made by manufacturing during a process called hydrogenation. Food manufacturers will add hydrogen to oils in order to increase shelf life and improve flavor stability.

You can find trans fats in foods such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oil. You can also sometimes find trans fats occurring naturally in some meats.

It’s been well established that trans fat can increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases the risk for heart disease.

There is no daily recommended value for trans fats. Instead, the USDA recommends limiting trans fat intake to as little as possible.

You should always look at the Nutrition Facts food labels when shopping. Make sure that you try to keep foods with trans fats out of your grocery cart when possible, keeping an eye out for alternatives.

Don’t fry your foods. If you have to cook with oil, use canola or safflower oil which will be lower in saturated and trans fats.

Also, choose lean meats and fish to limit the amount of trans fats and saturated fats your family consumes.

Michael P. Scaccia, M.D., F.A.A.P.