We see warnings about trans-fat foods everywhere we go and in everything we read. We’re told trans fat foods can and will reduce our life expectancy, cause coronary heart disease, diabetes, and increase the “bad” cholesterol level, just to name a few. New York City, Philadelphia and Puerto Rico have recently chosen to become trans-fat free cities. California is trying to implement a statewide ban on trans-fat foods.  Calgary will be trans-fat free by October 1^st, 2008 and Canada’s largest city, Toronto is contemplating doing the same. 

But what exactly is a trans fat anyway and why is it so bad. Most people including children eat trans fat-laden foods every single day without any obvious side-effects. They don’t have a third eye growing in the middle of their forehead. Their tongues aren’t green and eyes aren’t bulging out of their heads. So what is a trans fat anyway and how can it harm us?

Trans fat is when liquid fat such as soybean oil is transformed into a more solid fat by a heating process referred to as hydrogenation. This trans fat, in turn, is used in baked goods, processed foods, fried foods, and fast food. Its raison d’etre is to lengthen foods shelf life and enhance food flavours. It’s found in cookies, microwave popcorn, crackers, cakes, puddings, peanut butter; an estimated 40% of all food on grocery shelves have trans fats.

Trans fats are unhealthy (myself I prefer using the term dangerous) because they clog our arteries and create buildup (plaque) in our body.  Trans fats decrease the good cholesterol and increase the bad cholesterol in your body. Trans fats will coat the cells in our body preventing essential nutrients from being absorbed into the body causing malnutrition. And the links are no longer disputable. Trans fats are a significant contributor to heart disease, cancer, and a whole slew of degenerative diseases. So even though your child may not have a green tongue sticking out of their mouth, they’re being set up for a shorter lifespan.

The best way to steer clear of trans fats altogether is to carefully read food labels and avoid foods which have shortening, hydrogenated oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil or worse yet, partially hydrogenated oil. Preference should be given to foods containing olive, canola, sunflower and vegetable oils.

And even if a food has “0 trans fat” written on the packaging, making sure you read the ingredients just the same. I was recently on a flight from Ottawa to Toronto during which time the passengers were given a snack which had “0 trans fat” written on the packaging. I was impressed until I read the ingredients and saw “partially hydrogenated soybean oil”. Labels can be misleading. If a product has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, the manufacturer has the right to indicate “0 trans fat” on the packaging. Make sure you read the ingredients and teach your children to do the same.