With McDonald's recent announcement that they will reduce the trans fatty acid content of its cooking oils by 48 percent, the restaurant industry has seen a resurgence of interest about the health risks associated with these unnaturally modified fats. Prevalent in such foods as margarine, French fries, cookies, crackers and donuts, trans fatty acid intake can lead to even more serious health problems than high blood pressure and heart disease.
With a stated goal of completely eliminating TFA's and "giving our customers a wide range of wholesome choices," McDonald's instituted a 48 percent decrease in TFA's, a 16 percent decrease in saturated fats and an associated 167 percent increase in polyunsaturated fat in its cooking oil. McDonald's is the first so called "quick service" industry restaurant to set a public goal of eliminating these dangerous fatty acids from its oils. With good reason -- TFA's have been linked both to heart disease and cancer.
Studies have shown that diets high in TFA's are linked to higher incidences of heart disease, high cholesterol and certain types of cancer, compared to diets which moderate TFA intake. It is not known exactly how TFA's increase the likelihood of cancer, but a high correlation exists between cancer mortality and vegetable fat ingestion in the United States.
Trans fatty acids are fats produced when a liquid fat (oil) is hydrogenized into a solid or semi-solid form.Hydrogenation is a process by which liquid fat is pressurized with hydrogen gas to form a more stable, solid state.Depending upon the amount of hydrogenation, you can end up with a thick, viscous liquid fat (many vegetable oils), a partially solid fat (margarine) or a hard fat (Stearic acid). Foods containing hydrogenized or partially hydrogenized fats have beneficial qualities for a food producer or distributor, because they will not spoil for longer periods of time than foods containing unhydrogenized fats. However, as is often the case, the advantageous properties of these TFA's have a dangerous flip side.
As a result of being pressurized into a solid form, TFA's have bonds which are harder for your body to break down than other fat containing foods comprised of varying combinations of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Consequently, it takes more energy and a much higher temperature to break down TFA's (100 F), than to break down saturated and unsaturated fats (-10 to 20 F).
In everyday cooking, TFA's often enter into the perennial margarine vs. butter argument. The American Heart Association contends that margarine is a more "heart healthy" choice than butter because it has lower levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and acceptable levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL). Butter also is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to the clogged arteries with material that closely resembles what in this case you just ingested. As for margarine, most types have no dietary cholesterol content. But TFA levels in margarine still average 31 percent and can exceed 48 percent in margarines that were hydrogenized in higher percentages.
As noted, other foods containing TFA's include many processed foods, such as cookies and crackers, and many vegetable oils that contain partially hydrogenized fat. In addition, TFA's make up a very high percentage of the fat content in almost any fried food.
So, what can University students do to avoid and/or regulate their trans fatty acid intake? First off, stay clear of fried foods. This often is easier said than done, in part because students lead busy lives with limited choices on where and what to eat. But there are enough non-fried foods that don't contain unnatural fats for students to maintain a healthy diet. Nutritionists recommend sandwiches, wraps, many pizzas, fruits and salads with light dressings as viable options.
A second step involves watching what type of oil and/or butter substitute you buy at the store. Unhydrogenated oils include most canola and olive oils. When picking butter substitutes, the softer the better. That is, margarines with lower levels of TFA's are the softer kinds found in a tub as opposed to a stick or bar.
Lastly, try to eat a proportionally high polyunsaturated fat diet, found in foods like nuts and soybeans.Balancing the types and amount of fat you eat is extremely important in the ability to maintain a healthy weight and in keeping your energy at a high level throughout the day. If you're having problems falling asleep in class, it may just be the fries you're eating at lunch.
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