Trans FAT

Your_Crazy · 21-Apr-05, 06:49 PM

:confused: How much trans fat can you allow in your diet?

Aren't companies mandated by the FDA to put how much Trans fat is in a product?

Octagon · 21-Apr-05, 06:55 PM

Trans fats are kinda like bug parts in produce...you'd like it to be zero but you know that's never gonna happen.

And no, trans fat concerns haven't been on the radar long enough for them to be part of labeling requirements. The good news though is consumers must be flocking to products that tout zero trans fats because a lot more companies are cutting them out.

**threenorns** · 21-Apr-05, 07:27 PM

zero. you don't want none of that s--t in your system.

eat butter instead of margarine, do not cook oils or greases over high heat (that's what creates the transfats).

CF-OC_gal · 21-Apr-05, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Your_Crazy

:confused: How much trans fat can you allow in your diet?

Aren't companies mandated by the FDA to put how much Trans fat is in a product?

In Canada they are now and have been including it in the nutrition label for about the last 6 months. It is being phased in in the US. I can't remember if it is within 3 or 5 years that it will be required.

**threenorns** · 22-Apr-05, 09:42 AM

here's a trick: for some products, look at the label. you'll see a "total fat" number, then a breakdown of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. add them up, and likely they'll not equal the total. the difference is the trans fats.

Your_Crazy · 22-Apr-05, 10:37 AM

I know alot of products advertise no trans-fat. I also have seen some that have it listed on the nutritional guidelines. It's good to know that it will be required on there soon.

**threenorns** · 22-Apr-05, 10:40 AM

BE CAREFUL!

example: harvey's has this huge ad blitz touting their fries cooked in "transfat free" oil. here's the catch: the fries are deep-fried - the oil may be transfat free *originally*, but once it's heated to cook the fries, the TFs form and guess what? harvey's doesn't have to say jacks-t about TF content because there's no practical way to measure how much TFs are being formed from batch to batch.

cold-pressed olive oil is one of the absolute best oils you can add to your diet and, being cold-pressed (processed without heat), it's transfat free. put it in your frying pan or deep-fryer and guess what happens? yup: TF City.

as a rule, ANYTHING fried or deep-fried WILL have transfatty acids.

Your_Crazy · 22-Apr-05, 10:49 AM

MMM deep fried I could fry my car keys and they would taste good. LOL. I read that from someone else about the frying and trans-fats. I also know non-fat foods contain fat. It just has to be under a percentage.

Rats! · 22-Apr-05, 12:38 PM

I try to stay away from all trans fats and anything with "hydrogenated" in the ingredients. Also in USA, quite a few companies have been including trans fats in the nutrition facts.

abarlament · 22-Apr-05, 02:22 PM

I assume you guys who stay away from all trans-fatty acids do not drink milk?

**threenorns** · 22-Apr-05, 03:31 PM

nope - i LOVE my dairy. okay, i don't drink milk (gives me bloat), but i'm a total binger on yoghurt. can't get enough of it.

transfats do NOT occur in milk - they're strictly man-made, an artificial form of cholesterol. natural cholesterol (dairy, butter, eggs, etc) are fine: your body recognizes them and has measures to deal with them. TFAs are *not* natural and your body has no defense against them when they start plaquing up your arteries.

abarlament · 22-Apr-05, 06:56 PM

threenorms. Transfats are natural, look here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...t_uids=6356151.

**.V.** · 22-Apr-05, 08:14 PM

Just avoid the stuff that has been tampered with - buy your meat, put it on the grill - eat it. You should be OK. As far as milk - I've never been a milk drinker before - but now I'm drinking a lot of it for bulking - I stick to skim milk - it says no fat on the label.

Cort · 22-Apr-05, 08:49 PM

NesQuick has some nice chocolate milk with no sugars added, with only 2.5g of fat.

Just avoid the trans fats as much as possible and you should be alright. For you ramen lovers this means trouble, though I do know of some fat free ramen that some stores carry in the oriental section. Still isn't that good for you though.

sooner_ed · 22-Apr-05, 11:54 PM

I wouldn't get too caught up with this transfat stuff. Transfat, as with all other stuff, in excess, is not healthy. But that doesn't mean you have to totally avoid it. It's a personal decision.
It really kills me when a serving of a product is listed as fat-free and just because it lists partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient, people avoid it like the plague. It is allowed to be advertised as fat-free if it has .5 or less in fat. Now honestly, just how much fat (or transfat) are we talking about there? So little it doesn't even make a difference. Yet people get caught up in avoiding it just because it lists partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient. Excessive amounts are the enemy.
My philosophy is everything in moderation. Most of us eat very clean most of the time that when we cheat, it really shouldn't matter. Does that mean you will never have another oreo cookie as long as you live?
In my opinion, you just have to look at the big picture and make sure you are getting all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs. If that ends up including minimal amounts of transfat, it won't kill you. Just like enriched flour will not kill you but many avoid it like the plague as well. It's all a personal decision.