A nasty diet connection to heart
disease
February 20, 2005
By Kathryn B. Brown
Up until a few years ago, only nutrition experts were
aware of a certain type of fat known as trans fat. Since
then, plenty of research has proven that trans fats
(also known as trans fatty acids) play a significant
role in the development of heart disease.
In the human body, trans fats raise levels of LDL (bad)
cholesterol and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
When HDL levels are low and LDL levels are high, cholesterol
builds up in the vessels that supply blood to your heart.
This fatty plaque buildup causes a narrowing of the
blood vessels, and can eventually cause a complete blockage.
The most common cause of heart disease is this narrowing
of the coronary arteries, which are the blood vessels
that supply oxygen to the heart. A heart attack occurs
when these vessels become blocked: the heart muscle
does not get enough blood and oxygen so cells in that
area die. The damaged heart muscle becomes weakened
and loses its ability to contract normally.
There are four types of fats found in our food:
•Monounsaturated fat, found in peanuts, avocados,
olive oil and canola oil. This is good fat that reduces
blood cholesterol levels.
•Polyunsaturated fat, found in nuts and seeds,
as well as in sesame, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed,
corn and soybean oils. Also, omega-3 fatty acids (found
primarily in fish, flaxseed and walnuts) are a type
of polyunsaturated fat. This is also good fat that reduces
blood cholesterol levels.
•Saturated fat is bad fat found in tropical oils
(palm and coconut oil) and animal products (meat, eggs,
butter, cheese, ice cream, milk. Saturated fats are
the main dietary cause of high LDL cholesterol levels.
•Trans fat is the very bad fat found in products
containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable
oils, such as commercial baked goods (cakes, crackers,
cookies), fried foods (doughnuts, french fries, fried
chicken) and most types of margarine.
There also are small amounts of trans fats naturally
occurring in beef, pork, butter and whole milk. Once
upon a time, baked goods and fried food were made using
butter or tropical oils. When the connection between
saturated fats and heart disease became clear, the food
industry began looking for substitutes for saturated
fats.
They turned to hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils, made by adding hydrogen to the vegetable
oil, which increases the shelf life and flavor of foods.
For decades, margarine was seen as a healthy alternative
to butter with all its saturated fat.
Now, nutritionists recognize that the partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils used to make margarine contain trans
fats. However, liquid margarine or soft margarine found
in tubs contains considerably less trans fat than stick
margarine, and are the best choice.
All commercially prepared cookies, cakes, pies and
crackers made with partially hydrogenated vegetable
oil contain trans fats. Most deep-fried foods are fried
in partially hydrogenated oils, too.
Researchers have found that trans fats are found in
about 40 percent of products found in supermarkets.
So, why aren’t trans fats usually listed on the
nutritional facts labels of foods you buy at the store?
Until the link between trans fats and heart disease
became clear, the Food and Drug Administration did not
take a stand on trans fats.
Now that this link is known, the law has been changed.
By Jan. 1, 2006, the amount of trans fats must be listed
on all product labels.
Source:www.eastoregonian.info
|
