Just what are Trans-Fatty Acids?

These days it’s hard to get through a day without consuming some form of convenience food. A muffin on the way to work, a snack from the vending machine, crackers with lunch, a snack bar on the way home, and then a convenient ‘just add water’ biscuit mix with dinner. Have you ever read the entire nutritional label on the pre-packaged snacks that we all know and love? If you did, then you would have seen the ingredient partially hydrogenated oil. This is a necessary ingredient that allows foods to sit on a shelf for months at a time without going bad—but along with the preserving quality comes a little something called trans-fatty acids.

So what are trans-fatty acids? And why should you even care? Trans-fatty acids are produced during the hydrogenation of vegetable oil, and studies show that these man made molecules are worse for your body than saturated fat. They even raise LDL (the bad one) cholesterol levels while simultaneously lowering HDL (the good one) cholesterol levels.

Trans-fatty acids are also linked to higher rates of insulin resistance. In her book, The Omega Diet, Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D. states that, “Trans-fatty acids interfere with normal fatty acid metabolism by crowding out essential fatty acids from the cell membranes and interfering with the conversion of the shorter chain fatty acids (such as LNA) into longer ones (such as DHA). As a result, there are fewer long-chain fatty acids in the membranes. This makes the membranes less fluid and reduces the number and sensitivity of the insulin receptors.”

Simopoulos goes on to say, “It is difficult to live in the United States and avoid trans-fatty acids because they have infiltrated the entire food supply. Anytime you see the words, “partially hydrogenated” on a label, trans-fatty acids lurk within. Take the time to go through the local Santa Monica supermarket aisles and read the labels on baked goods, snack foods, and mixes. Virtually every one contains trans-fatty acids.”

Food items that contain trans-fatty acids include:
• commercial baked goods
• crackers
• snack food
• margarine
• shortening
• artificial cheese
• deep-fat friend foods
• cakes and cake mixes
• corn chips
• cinnamon rolls
• doughnuts
• muffin mixes
• pastries
• pie crust
• potato chips
• prepared mixes
• shortening
• tortillas and tortilla chips
• biscuit mixes and dough
• anything with partially hydrogenated on the label