Another Government Loophole
Or when the Surprise Inside isn't what you Expected
By ANN LEA
Good news, everybody! Due to a better informed and more demanding public, the food industry has all but removed artery clogging trans fats from our processed foods.
Don't believe me? Just take a stroll down the grocery aisles. "Contains Zero Trans Fats" screams at us from a blur of boxes and bags. The message is often in bright yellow (look at me!) on green panels (I'm healthy!).
Being the skeptic that I am, I always turn to the nutrition panel, required by government and printed on the container. And sure enough, there it is: 0g trans fat.
Until recently, however, what has totally mystified me is that in further reading the ingredient list for any particular product, I would, about 50 percent of the time; find listed as a primary ingredient partially or fully hydrogenated oils. How could this be?
About 35 years ago my husband had his first cholesterol test and clocked in with an unbelievable 345 total score, not good news for a man whose uncle dropped dead from a heart attack at age 40. That was back when most physicians knew little about diet modification for lowering cholesterol, so I was on my own.
Through piecing bits and pieces of information I eventually gave lectures on the subject to businesses and government institutions in North Carolina where we lived.
So here is the short course. There are four kinds of dietary fats:
• POLYUNSATURATED (corn, canola, soybean oils) When eaten in moderation these have little adverse effect on cholesterol levels.
• MONOUNSATURATED (olive, fish and nut oils). These are the "good oils" and have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.
• SATURATED (meat fats, palm oil and coconut oil). These are cheap for the food processor to buy and raise cholesterol levels.
• TRANS FATS (partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils). These are chemically altered oils which have had extra hydrogen atoms added to their molecules. The industry adds them to improve texture and add shelf life. Even in small amounts they can dramatically raise cholesterol levels.
