The research is pretty convincing that partially hydrogenated oils, a.k.a. "trans fats", are not good for you. Eating a lot of trans fats increases your risk of heart disease and other problems, and some research suggests that a high intake of trans fats might also increase risk of miscarriage. But trans fats are present in a lot of different foods and they can be hard to avoid if you're not sure what to look for. Here's what you can do to cut back.
Check the amounts of trans fats on nutritional labels. This is the first step toward reducing your intake. Ever since 2006, the FDA has required food manufacturers to include trans fats on nutritional labels for foods sold in the US. Aim for less than 2 grams of trans fats each day, if you eat about 2000 calories each day. The American Heart Association recommends that trans fats should constitute a maximum of 1% of your total daily caloric intake.
But watch out for partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list. Note that the FDA allows manufacturers to claim that produces are trans fat free if they contain 0.5 grams or less of trans fats even if the products contain partially hydrogenated oils. This means that you could easily get more than the recommended amount of trans fats in one day even by eating foods that are supposedly trans-fat free.
Avoid or limit foods that contain hydrogenated oils as well. Fully hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fats, but manufacturers may use "hydrogenated oil" and "partially hydrogenated oil" interchangeably in the ingredients list.
Do your research before eating out in restaurants. Some restaurants have been more proactive than others in reducing the trans fats in their menus. Consider avoiding fried foods altogether, since even if these do not contain trans fats, they are likely to contain high amounts of saturated fat -- which isn't good for you either in large amounts.
Choose your oils carefully. Oils that are liquid at room temperature will be the safest choices.
Have an overall heart-healthy lifestyle. Taking other steps such as limiting saturated fat, eating fish (but limit to 12 oz. or less each week if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, due to mercury contamination concerns), and keeping your cholesterol levels under control is almost certain to benefit your health and reduce your risk of any health problems that are tied to trans fats.
It can be harder than you might think to avoid trans fats. Some more obvious foods to avoid can include margarine, packaged cake mixes or other baking mixes, Ramen noodles, fried foods, and various types of commercially produced baked goods. But note that even some foods you might think of as healthy, such as boxed breakfast cereals and bottled salad dressings, can be heavy sources of trans fats.
Sources:
American Heart Association, "Trans Fats." May 2008. Accessed 21 Sept 2008.
Davis, Jeanie Lerche, "Top 10 Foods to Beware." Office of Health Education, University of Pennsylvania 2003. Accessed 21 Sept 2008.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Revealing Trans Fats." FDA Consumer Magazine Sept 2003. Accessed 21 Sept 2008.
