http://www.care2.com/greenliving/trans-fat-replacements.html
Replacing Trans Fats for Better Health
By Lindsey Galloway, Natural Solutions magazine
The rush to remove trans fats from fried, baked, and processed goods has never been more frantic. Even Dunkin’ Donuts and the Indiana State Fair have promised to use healthier frying oils. But are the “heart-healthy” changes everything they seem?
Labeling loophole
A “Zero grams of trans fats!” sticker should give any consumer pause. Federal guidelines allow companies to label their foods as such if the product has fewer than 0.5 grams of trans fats a serving. Such a minimal amount may not hurt you (the American Heart Association recommends less than 2 grams a day), but eating three or four servings quickly pushes your trans fat consumption into the cholesterol-boosting range.
“Skip the label, and go straight to the ingredient list,” warns Ronni Julien, RD, LDN, author of The Trans-Fat Free Kitchen (HCI, 2006). “If it has partially hydrogenated oils, it has trans fats.”
Back to the tropics
Palm and coconut oil are becoming popular replacements for trans fats in baked goods (like Oreos) because they are solid at room temperature and more stable when exposed to high temperatures, both characteristics of partially hydrogenated oils.
Detractors, including the Heart Association, still cite the high levels of saturated fats in these oils as reason to steer clear. Ironically, many companies previously used palm oil but turned away from it once the dangers of saturated fat were touted in the 1980s.
Some nutritionists still don’t buy the negative hype over saturated fats. “Butter, coconut, and palm oils are whole foods and can be healthy when used in moderation,” says Cathy Crystal, instructor and nutrition consultant at Bauman College in Santa Cruz, Calif. “They’re absolutely healthier than trans fats.” Not that that’s an excuse to overindulge. The AHA still recommends limiting saturated fats to a mere 7 percent of your calorie intake.
More modification
Fearing the possible fallout of a high saturated fat content, many companies have also been investigating lab-created options, such as inter-esterification, a process that blends a fully hydrogenated oil with a liquid oil to create a stable, solid fat without trans fatty acids. One early study has already pointed to problems, however, showing that ingesting inter-esterified fat may elevate blood glucose levels by 20 percent while depressing HDL, the good cholesterol, just like trans fats.
Other manufacturers are genetically modifying plants to produce oils that don’t become rancid at high temperatures, a necessity for fried foods. Since the United States doesn’t have strict labeling standards regarding genetically modified organisms, buying organic is the only surefire way to avoid consuming oils that have been intentionally modified or hydrogenated.
“We don’t know if these modified foods are going to have negative or positive effects later on,” says Crystal. In place of trans fats or other modified oils, she suggests consumers simply rotate through natural fats like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil.
“Just use fats smartly,” she explains. “Rotating them will keep them from becoming allergenic and will deliver different nutrients.”
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10 comments
add your comment »Eat HEMPSEED OIL! Healthiest oil known to man. Scientific fact.
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After my husband had a heart attack a month ago, we have stopped smoking, stopped eating fried food, greasy food. And will not use or eat anything that contains trans fats. Iurge everyone to do the same.
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peace kind, being a donut baker for over 20 years, have fried a lot of donuts in hydrogenated vegtable oil, utilized because it transports easier & can be stored easier, for liquid oil containers breaks easily when sent by train & truck maybe thousands of miles then stored in store room till ready for frier, is why hydrogenation was utilized, to keep prices lower & stop waste, not knowing dangers when consumed is how it started. though saturated vegy oil like coconut oil is needed by our body, not saturated animal fat or hydogenated oils is whats learned so far. though excess of anything can be harmful if one is eating donuts thrown out to survive, for dunkin donuts didn't use perservatives in donuts so throws out everything after 12 hours sold or not & dumpster divers feast on those donuts or animals of the farm they are brought to whom love donuts more then humans, even horses & cattle chickens, dogs, cats, geese & ducks, mice will run to the knowing of donuts about to be served, day olds or even 2 day old, they love em. one can squeeze about an ounce of oil out of a hot fried donut though becomes solid some 4 hours later when cooled, so donuts have to be turned over when sitting on display evry about 4 hours if not sold or eaten so they don't look unapetizing. may peace be blessed to help us through moreso of this crisis we think, believe is befalling us. i even read cooked vegy oil is needed by human brain called cla's.
peace kind
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I am so afraid of trans fats. Ever since I learned about them, I've been reading labels and avoiding them like none other...
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its about time we became more concerned with what we eat and the ingredients use. though my great grandmothers and grandfather on my maternal side all lived to be 98, 96 or 97 and 100, doesn't mean all the family did or will.
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We really need to find an oil that does no or minimal damage to the environment. I wonder how much impact harvesting olive oil has on Mother Earth . . .
And Caralien is right. If you don't tell someone, they won't know the difference! I do that to my dad and he now eats unsalted crackers and likes them, among other things that are good for him!
oh, and Randy? A man who does his own cooking is someone I will always admire. Kudos!
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Being male single I'm doing my own everydays cooking. And since taking care of my foods, up to a certain point, I use curd cheese instead buttering my bread or rolls and for cooking and frying I usually use cob oil or sunflower oil, for french fries palm fat or any of the mentioned oils. So this trans fat things are quite new to me. Since I don't know nothing really about it I better search the Net for enough information to get an opinion on trans fats, so as to decide what to use and what not. From then on I could ban trans fat all the way from my kitchen :-) So thanks for the info anyway.
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I agree with Michelle. What about our poor Oragatans? Shall we take all of their habitat because we humans like fried foods? They are loosing, my friends.
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Palm oil is not a good choice if you have environmental concerns. Harvesting palm oil is very damaging to the rainforest.
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Most trans and saturated fats can easily be exchanged--canola/grapeseed/olive for butter or margarine in savoury foods; for most baked goods, equal amounts applesauce/bananas/fat free yogurt can be exchanged for the fat; 2-3 egg whites for 1 egg (not to mention halving the amount of sugar).
Obviously, there are times when these exchanges won't do (wedding cakes, frosting, and crisp cookies in particular) because the items need the fat and sugar to bake/taste/be presented properly. Muffins, quickbreads, pancakes, chewy bars, soft cookies, etc. can easily have their fat [saturated as well as total] and sugar reduced.
The main recommendation I would give, however, is not to tell anyone that you've reduced the fat or sugar. They'll eat as they normally do, everything will be moist, and no one will over-indulge or claim that it tastes "funny" (simply mentioning low-fat/reduced sugar/cholesterol free will result in higher scrutiny and/or perceived strangeness).
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