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Trans Fats. Fall 2013. Test your knowledge. 1. Margarine is healthier than butter 2. If a nutrition label says “0 grams trans fat” than it has no trans fat 3. Cutting out trans fats will make you lose weight. What are Trans Fats.
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Trans Fats Fall 2013
Test your knowledge • 1. Margarine is healthier than butter • 2. If a nutrition label says “0 grams trans fat” than it has no trans fat • 3. Cutting out trans fats will make you lose weight
What are Trans Fats • A very small amount of the trans fats people eat does come from natural sources, mainly meat and animal products. • Achemical process called hydrogenation produces the vast majority of trans fats in people’s diets.
What are they? Hydrogenation turns liquid vegetable oil into a more solid type of fat.
Where do you find it? • In some of your favorite foods, from French fries to breakfast cereal.
Why is it used? • Restaurants and manufacturers use trans fats in their food to add taste and texture. • Trans fats make fries crispy and delicious, give pies their flaky crust, and give doughnuts their rich, gooey feel. • Long shelf life = bigger profits
Your health • Studies came out linking saturated fat to high cholesterol and heart disease. People abandoned butter in favor of what they thought was healthier, vegetable-based margarine
Your health • Trans fats raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. • Not only do they raise bad LDL cholesterol, but they also lower the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Your health • They also raise levels of triglycerides, a form of fat in the blood, and they increase the amount of lipoprotein (a), a substance made up of protein and fat that transports cholesterol in the blood.
Diseases linked to diets high in trans fat • Heart disease • Cancer • Diabetes • Asthma • Obesity
How to avoid trans fats • Every single “Nutrition Facts” label on the side of a food package lists trans fats. Try to stick to foods that contain 0 grams of trans fats. • Some trans fats are carefully hidden.
How to avoid trans fats • Read the ingredients • Eat whole foods
How to avoid trans fats • Knowing how much trans fat is in your food gets a bit harder when you eat out. Some fast-food restaurants now list the nutritional content of their foods, including trans fat, on their Web sites
Grab a laptop • What can you find out about your favorite restaurant chain? • Do they use trans fat? • What claims do they make about trans fats? • What foods can you eat off their menu that are likely to not have trans fats? • Be prepared to report back to your classmates