This article was previously published on April 15, 2020 and has been updated with new information.
The history of trans fats goes back to 1903 when Wilhelm Normann registered and patented it after he discovered a way to make liquid oils denser and more solid through hydrogenation.first These fats have a longer shelf life and are cheaper to produce.
In 1911, Procter & Gamble introduced Crisco, a short-lived food billed as “an economical alternative to butter and tallow.” During World War II, when the government auctioned off avocados, it led to the popularity of margarine, a trans fatty acid product.
The partial hydrogenation of trans fats involves the addition of a single hydrogen molecule to the opposite side of the carbon bond in the fat molecule. This one small change causes the difference in the way fat is metabolized and therefore increases the risk to your health.2
In their natural state, unsaturated fatty acids are usually in the “cis” configuration, showing the hydrogen molecules on the same side, as opposed to opposite sides.
Conditions associated with trans fatty acids
There is evidence that this small difference links trans fats with inflammation in the body, leading to greater insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease.3 According to Harvard Health Publishing, “For every 2% of calories from trans fat consumed daily, the risk of heart disease increases by 23%.”
In addition to these health conditions, researchers are investigating the relationship between trans fats and preeclampsia,4 breast cancer,5 nervous system disorder6 and memory impairment in offspring when trans fats were fed to animals during pregnancy or lactation.7
Trans fats can be found in processed food products that have a long shelf life. To know if they appear, you have to read the ingredients, not just the nutrition label.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers are allowed to advertise or label products as “trans fat-free” if it has less than 0.5 g per serving. FDA rules for compliance on nutrition labels state:8
“The trans fat content should be expressed in grams per serving in increments of the nearest 0.5 grams below 5 grams and accurate to the nearest gram above 5 grams. If the serving contains less than 0.5 grams, declared content must be expressed as ‘ 0 g. ‘”
There are a number of trans fats naturally found in meat products, which you may have heard that are just as bad for you as trans fats.9,ten However, although researchers usually cannot identify it unless they are examining the difference between conventional and farmed meat, it is important to realize the meat used may be from Cattle eat grain, which alters the nutrient table.
Keep in mind that not all processed food products will contain partially hydrogenated trans fats to extend shelf life. Of course, this is not the only reason to avoid processed foods! Read labels, including those for:11,
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Refrigerated and frozen powder products |
Store-bought baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and cupcakes |
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Fried foods, including donuts |
Peanut butter isn’t just peanuts |
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Nondairy coffee ice cream |
Popcorn |
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Ready-made frosting |
Sticky margarine |
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Shortening |
Frozen pizza |
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Breakfast restaurant |
Cake |
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Salty snacks |
Crunchy biscuits |
Trans fatty acids cause cell death
Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan recently published a studytwelfth in which they examined the effects of fatty acids on programmed cell death, or apoptosis.
During apoptosis, the body gets rid of unhealthy cells on its own, which is one of the mechanisms that prevent diseases like cancer. If DNA damage spreads across too many cells and causes too much apoptosis, it could lead to some of the same chronic diseases that researchers know are linked to trans fat intake.
To test the theory that fat affects the mitochondrial signaling pathway,13 they designed a study in which they induced DNA damage using a common chemotherapeutic drug. They found that two trans fatty acids – elaidic acid and linoelaidic acid – increased apoptosis. Other unsaturated fats did not have the same effect.
Two trans fats increase the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by cells, increasing the rate of apoptosis. Atsushi Matsuzawa from the university’s Medical Chemistry Laboratory commented on the results:14
“Accumulating evidence suggests that trans fatty acid consumption is associated with a variety of diseases, including certain lifestyle diseases, atherosclerosis, and dementia. But the underlying cause remains largely unknown. .
Our study has uncovered a novel toxic function and mechanism of action of trans fatty acids, which may account for pathological mechanisms, including atherosclerosis. This important finding will provide the molecular basis for understanding how trans fatty acids cause disease. “
Trans fats linked to cognitive decline
As I’ve written before, the food you eat and other lifestyle factors have an effect on your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline. Dietary choices influence the risk of depression, high blood pressure, and obesity in middle age. Foods that promote neurodegeneration include sugars, grains, and trans fats.15
More recently, scientists have found a strong link between eating a diet high in trans fats and an increased incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. This risk is not small. Dr. Neelum T. Aggarwal, who was not involved in the study, commented to CNN:16
“This study demonstrates that there are negative ‘brain/cognitive’ outcomes, in addition to known cardiovascular outcomes, associated with diets high in (a) trans fat. This message must be given in countries where trans fat bans have not been enacted or are difficult to enforce.”
CNN reported that people in the quartile with the highest elaidic acid levels had a 74% higher risk of dementia. This is one of the same trans fats found to increase cell apoptosis.
Richard Isaacson, a neurologist and director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York who was not involved in the study, commented on the findings that demonstrate a link between trans fats chemistry and Alzheimer’s disease:17
“The study used markers of blood trans fat levels, rather than the traditional dietary questionnaire, which increases the scientific validity of the results. This study is important because it builds on previous evidence that eating a diet high in trans fats may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.”
Trans fat beliefs are linked to activist promotions
By 2006, FDA18 requires manufacturers to declare the presence of trans fats on the nutrition facts labels of all processed foods. In 2015, they determined partially hydrogenated oils were not “recognized as safe” (GRAS).
The compliance deadline is June 18, 2018, for most foods, but an extension to January 1, 2020, is allowed for “orderly transition in the market.” Product manufacturers that requested use of trans fats before June 2019 received another extended compliance date of January 1, 2021. This means, depending on the shelf life. listed, trans fat foods may still be available on grocery store shelves in 2022.
The group of self-proclaimed consumer watchdogs, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), were the original force behind a highly successful campaign to phase out healthy saturated fats and put them in place. incorporate it into your diet. It is because of this that fast food restaurants have turned to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
By 1988, CSPI had released an article praising trans fats, stating that19 “There is very little evidence that trans fats cause any more harm than other fats” and “much of the anxiety about trans fats stems from their reputation as ‘unnatural’. of course’.”
Many people still mistakenly believe that margarine is a healthier option than grass-fed butter. CSPI’s campaign to replace saturated animal and tropical oils with trans fats plays a key role in driving this bug.
The team’s successful influence on the food industry is discussed in David Schleifer’s article, “The Perfect Solution: How Trans Fats Be a Healthy Substitute for Saturated Fats,” where he noted:20
“Scholars often argue that corporations control U.S. food production, with negative consequences for health, environmental quality, and working conditions. However, the transition is over. from saturated fat to trans fat shows how activists can be part of driving corporate change…
But the trans fat case shows that activists’ effectiveness in changing industrial technology is not just a matter of how well organized they are, how many resources they have, or how well they communicate. how; In part, activists have succeeded in framing saturated fat replacement as a sensible course of action based on a scientific fact—namely, the link between saturated fat and heart disease. “
The same group that leads the charge for GMOs
Just as CSPI takes the side of the industry to promote a low-fat and trans-fat diet in your food, they also support genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Most polls show a majority of Americans want to label their food if it contains GMO ingredients. However, Greg Jaffe, CSPI’s biotechnology project manager, is not convinced.
He testified in a hearing on Pompeo Bill HR 1599, commonly known as the Americans Denial of Right to Know (DIG) Act. This act would strip individual countries of the right to enforce food labeling laws and it would prevent regulations that restrict or ban the cultivation of GMO crops.
In his testimony21 He told the committee that when given the option to have pesticides, antibiotics and GMOs on food labels, 70% of respondents said yes. He then cited a Rutgers poll that asked the open-ended question, what new information would you like on your food labels? According to Jaffe, only 7% of GMOs are listed.
“I don’t think we have a good idea of what consumer demand really is… Rutgers poll… Two-thirds of consumers don’t even discuss this in three years ago and didn’t know about it. So, providing information without knowledge of what the information means can be inherently misleading.”
In other words, his justification for not labeling food products as GMO is that not all consumers understand what the label means. This is an inexcusable position for a group that claims to operate in the name of consumer protection. In the video below, you’ll hear his statements, where he claims there are no studies showing GMOs cause any negative health concerns.
This is the same position they took for trans fats and artificial sweeteners. In other words, the organization seems to be at least consistent in protecting manufacturers and industry rather than protecting consumer health.
Build healthy eating habits
Exercising, eating, moving, and sleeping are often based on habits that you develop. Once you’ve formed a habit, it’s easier to maintain it than to break it. The same is true for creating healthy eating habits. Start with whole, organically grown foods that you cook and prepare at home, including pasture-raised meats and dairy products.
Once you’ve gradually transitioned from processed foods to whole foods, consider combining a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting to support mitochondrial health and biogenesis.
