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Banning Trans Fats: Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

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Published: 29Jan2007
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Studies have shown that trans fats reduce our levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and increase our levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol). All of which may be bad for your heart.

So cities across the US have either already banned trans fats from their restaurants or are considering doing so. All in the name of protecting the public health.

Also, many food companies are reformulating their foods to eliminate trans fats. But then they have to. Otherwise, they'll be portrayed as the bad guys trying to make a buck off the poor, unsuspecting public by poisoning us with their unhealthy foods.

The campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers of trans fats has led many consumers to believe that a ban will be healthy for them. So there are many people who are all for it.

**But The Hype Has Just Begun**

In fact, a recent study actually tried to link trans fats to infertility.

Even nutritionist Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, a professor at New York University, expressed skepticism about that conclusion in an article recently published on WebMD.

So are city governments justified in banning trans fats from our foods? Or are these local governments making a mistake because of all the anti-trans fat hype?

Regardless of how you feel about the government legislating what we eat, here's the problem.

Trans fats are being replaced in many foods by a new type of fat called interesterified fats.

But according to the results of a study published in the journal, Nutrition and Metabolism, interesterified fats may be even more dangerous for us than trans fats.

You see, interesterified fats also lower our levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). Just like trans fats. So there's still a heart health issue.

**But Now There's A New Health Risk**

Interesterified fats were found to significantly increase blood sugar and depress insulin. Which may increase your risk for diabetes. Or cause potential problems for you if you already have diabetes.

If you remember, trans fats replaced saturated fats years ago because saturated fats were supposed to be unhealthy. At the time, trans fats were believed to be healthier.

So much for that conclusion. But it gets worse.

These new interesterified fats were found to increase blood sugar by 20% more than good old saturated fats.

That was in a mere four weeks. Imagine what would happen over a longer period of time.

**Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire**

It seems like every time the food police insist on changing the type of fats found in our food, they introduce new and potentially more dangerous health risks for us.

If you're concerned about this new diabetes risk, you can check the ingredient list of your foods if it's available. Interesterified fats are labelled as "fully hydrogenated oil."

But maybe it's time to consider another course. Maybe we shouldn't be reformulating our foods after every study. And we certainly shouldn't be banning foods unless we're sure the alternatives are safer.

Most importantly, maybe it's time for the food police to get off their high horses and quit telling the rest of us how to eat. They don't exactly have a good track record.

**Should We Stop The Trans Fat Bans Before It's Too Late?**

I'm not arguing that trans fats are healthy. But I think it's a foolish mistake to reformulate all of our foods until more studies have been done. We need reasonable proof that we've found a safer alternative.

If you're concerned about the health risks from these new fats, you may want to get in touch with your local legislators. And stop the ban on trans fats until we know for sure that we aren't jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Debbie Fontana is a full-time author and business owner who specializes in writing about health, weight loss, and nutrition. She invites you to visit her at ILoveToCheatDiet.com/blog and post your comments about the ban on trans fats. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you think the food police are helping or hurting us? Please post your comments at Stop The Trans Fat Ban

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