If you’ve ever paid attention to nutrition facts, you may have noticed that trans fat is no longer welcome.
What exactly is trans fat? And why is it dangerous?
More on these questions and the trans fat ban in this post.
The Trans Fat Ban
In 2015, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially finalized Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) as not Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). This effectively bans food products with trans fat from being sent to store shelves in the U.S. from June 18, 2018.
With the ban in effect, manufacturers can no longer include these oils in their products.
Dangers of Trans Fat
Trans fat is the product of hydrogen added to liquid vegetable oil. The hydrogen makes the oil more solid. While this helps food stay fresh for longer periods of time and taste better it comes at a cost. PHOs add not good cholesterol (LDL) to your body and they remove good cholesterol (HDL) from it. This can eventually lead to heart attack as your arteries get clogged.
And heart attack isn’t the only risk. “Trans fat can also increase inflammation in your body and contribute to blocked arteries and heart disease by damaging your blood vessels. Inflammation can also increase your chances of developing cancer, diabetes and stroke.”
According to the FDA, by getting rid of PHOs in foods that are processed, we can “prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year.”
Trans Fat Still Around
Despite the ban, trans fat hasn’t been eliminated in the United States:
Natural Trans Fat
Trans fat isn’t only artificially made. Some foods like beef and dairy products contain natural trans fats. Researchers are comparing the effects of natural trans fat to the artificial one.
Shelf Life
While the ban is here, not all trans fat products have been sold. So you may still find products on store shelves that haven’t been replaced with their healthier alternatives.
Substitutes
The government granted an extension until July 18, 2019 to find replacements for certain commercial foods that use trans fat.
Are you cautious not to eat trans fat?
Please share in the comments below.