Trans Fat

Question: Trans Fat? I just got back from a run and accidentally grabbed a piece of cornbread, which turned out to have one gram of trans fat in it. I know i'm being paranoid, but I try to stay away from eating it, and that was probably the first time in months that I did. Will anything happen to me now that I had a bit? Is my cardiovascular system just as healthy as it was before (distance runner, vegetarian...)?

Answer: http://www.puristat.com/standardamericandiet/transfats.asp?pid=2&campaignno=SAD&adgroup=transfats&keywords=margarine+trans+fat&OVRAW=MARGARINE%20DANGERS&OVKEY=margarine%20trans%20fat&OVMTC=advanced By ingesting any of the numerous fake food products containing trans fats, you are actually incorporating damaged molecules into the cellular structure of your body! It’s hardly surprising, then, that many chronic health conditions have been linked to diets rich in trans fats.

Question: Trans-Fat? Can anyone give me examples of common foods that have trans-fat? For example: Chex Mix has trans-fat

Answer: well, whatever you do DO NOT EAT TRANS FATS, it is hydrogenated oil! which means that they literally added hydrogen atoms to the food to make it taste better. they are NOT good fats for example(ploly- and mono-saturated) which are natural and actually clean out the arteries. but Trans fats CLOG your arteries and increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. they are absolutely BAD FOR YOU. never eat these!!!!!! There is even a new law passing stating that every food label has to state the amount of trans fat.

Question: trans fat? hi...what exactly is trans fat? is it good, bad? etc. -Alix :) thnx lots!

Answer: Trans fat (also known as trans fatty acids) is a specific type of fat formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. However, a small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in some animal-based foods. Trans fats are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fat behaves like saturated fat by raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol that increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Trans fat can be found in some of the same foods as saturated fat, such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil -- a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats. Usually the hydrogen atoms at a double bond are positioned on the same side of the carbon chain. However, partial hydrogenation reconfigures some double bonds and the hydrogen atoms end up on different sides of the chain. This type of configuration is called "trans" (means "across" in Latin). Trans fats are BAD!

Question: What's the difference between Trans fat and partially hydrongenated oil's? I thought they were the same thing, but Country crock margerine says it has no trans fat, but it contains partially hydrongenated oil. I know that foods can contain a little trans fat and still can list zero trans fat. It is very confusing to me... Thanks!

Answer: Partially hydrogenated oil IS transfat.

Question: What is the health difference between trans fat and partially hydrogenated oil? My store brand Wheat Thins contain partially hydrogenated oil and brags on the box that it contains zero grams trans fat. I know that I should not be eating trans fats, but what are the effects of partially hydrogenated oil? Is it safe? Thank you for your enlightening comments. After reading them, it seems the FDA should do something about this. Technically the advertising on the box is true, but it is misleading in that it seems to say that the fat content of the product is safe. The box actually says 0g trans fat and then in smaller letters it says per serving. Trans fats do include partially hydrogenated oils but the amount per serving probably must be less than .5g which allows them to make this claim.

Answer: I thought trans fat and partially hydrogenated oil were synonymous. Partially hydrogenated means the oils have been chemically altered to retain shape, (like margarine and Crisco). Our bodies cannot handle the chemical change and therefore the health problems related to partially hydrogenated oils. I'd stay away from the wheat thins, and complain about false advertising.

Question: Is there a margarine available without trans fat? Does anyone know if there is any margarine that is completely trans fat free? I've seen some that say "0g trans fat per serving" but all this really means is its less than .5g per serving. Since most of us realistically use more than that one tablespoon serving suggestion, you're getting more than that. I've heard that if you check the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils, than you're definitely getting at least some trans fat. Is that small amount so inconsequential that I shouldn't worry about it?

Answer: I always use Smart Balance. It's like a margarine but tastes more like butter, has Omega 3 fatty acid and 0 trans fat. http://www.smartbalance.com/product.html That's their site. You can look through the products they offer to make an informed decision. Since the Smart Balance has Omega 3 fatty acids, it cancels out any possible traces of trans fat. Smart Balance is the best spread I've found for putting on my toast in the morning and in any recipes calling for butter or margarine. Smart Balance also has a cooking oil and other products. I hope you find one you like.

Question: How much trans fat is in a serving of French's French Fried Onions? The very first ingredient is partially hydrogenated (something) oil, so I know this can't be good. And, conveniently enough, the label doesn't have a trans fat label, unlike almost every other product. Thx! ??0?? That must mean 0 as in less than .5g. And then again, a serving is 1 tablespoon, so the proportion of fat/food is probably really high.

Answer: My can of those exact French Fried onions from French's says a serving is 2 Tbsp and there are NO transfats. 0%.

Question: What exactly is trans fat and why is it so bad for you? Just wondering because so many people are becomming obsessed with not having it, foods advertise "no trans fat", and I've heard they're making it....illegal?

Answer: Trans fatty acids (commonly termed trans fats) are a type of unsaturated fat (and may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated). Trans fats occur, in small quantities, in meat and dairy products from ruminants. Most trans fats consumed today, however, are industrially created as a side effect of partial hydrogenation of plant oils — a process developed in the early 1900s and first commercialized as Crisco in 1911. Partial hydrogenation changes a fat's molecular structure (raising its melting point and reducing rancidity), but this process also results in a portion of the changed fat becoming trans fat. Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease.For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.

Question: What's the difference between trans fat and saturated fat? What's the difference between trans fat and saturated fat? I realize there are healthy fats - Which should be limited?

Answer: A saturated fat is a naturally-occurring fat. It's kind of bad for you, because it raises your cholesterol levels and also raises your "bad" cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are also naturally-occurring. They're pretty good for you, because they lower your cholesterol levels and also raise your "good" cholesterol levels. When you alter a polyunsaturated fat through a chemical reaction called "partial hydrogenation," you turn it into a trans fat. Trans fats are a triple dose of badness because they raise your cholesterol, raise your "bad" cholesterol levels, *and* lower your "good" cholesterol levels. 75% of your daily fat intake should be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 25% (tops) should be saturated fats. If possible, avoid trans fats totally. If you buy a food that contains "hydrogenated [something] oil" or "partially hydrogenated [something] oil" in the ingredient list, it has trans fat. It may not show trans fat on the label, because you're allowed to advertise "no trans fat" if there's less than half a gram of trans fat in a serving. (When I typed "[something]" in that last paragraph, I meant that it could be any type of oil.) But if a serving is really small, you can eat a lot of trans fats by eating multiple servings! That's why you should really avoid items with *any* trans fats whenever you can. One final note: "Hydrogenated [something] oil" and "Partially hydrogenated [something] oil" are trans fats. But "Fully hydrogenated [something] oil," is NOT a trans fat.

Question: How is it possible that this food has partially hydrogenated fat but no trans fats? I am eating chips and in the ingredients I see that in the cheese powder there is partially hydrogenated soybean oil. When I look at the trans fat content it says: 0g Isn't hydrogenated fat and trans fat the same thing? How is it possible that there is hydrogenated fat but no trans fat?

Answer: In the United States if the food product contains less that .5 grams of Trans Fats per serving it can be listed as 0 grams of Trans Fat. Clever huh?

Question: Can someone recommend me a good tasting healthy (no trans fat) chocolate frosting recipe? Preferably one that is sugary. I'm baking a healthy cake without trans fat.

Answer: Ingredients * 1 cup sugar * 6 tablespoons cornstarch * 4 tablespoons cocoa * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2 tablespoons oil * 1 cup water * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Directions 1. 1 Mix sugars, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa in a medium sauce pan. 2. 2 Whisk in the water. 3. 3 Heat over medium until it gets thick and starts to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes. 4. 4 (Make sure you don't boil too long, or it will set like taffy.) 5. 5 Remove from heat and stir in oil and vanilla. Cool and spread on cooled cake. ********* Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 (44g) Recipe makes 12 servings Calories 104 Calories from Fat 22 (21%) Amount Per Serving %DV Total Fat 2.5g 3% Saturated Fat 0.5g 2% Monounsaturated Fat 1.1g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 98mg 4% Potassium 28mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 21.3g 7% Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2% Sugars 16.7g Protein 0.4g 0%

Question: can you taste the difference between foods with and without trans fat? ... because i just tasted my first bag of "no trans fat" cool ranch doritos, and they seem to taste a bit lighter than the old ones. am i imagining this, or can you really taste the difference?

Answer: I find baked goods with trans fat taste "waxier" since the fat doesn't melt in my mouth like non- trans.

Question: Why does so much food contain trans fat? Considering the tremendous health risks that can be caused by the consumption of trans fat, I find it very irresponsible by many companies to use it. Only recently have I become more aware of this issue and am wondering why so little is being done not to have trans fat in food. Before virtually everything I consumed had trans fat in it. Why is that? I heard that it affects the taste, but I have no interest of consuming that and so much food has trans fat. It's not even that easy to always avoid it. Does olive oil obtain trans fat as well?

Answer: Trans-fat is a modified fat that is similar to a plastic in many ways but feels like butter. Life has a hard time living in such a material thus it extents the time a product can sit before going bad. This makes it ideal for company's since it can increase the shelf time and profits. The government is trying to remove trans fat from food so they made it law to label trans-fat on foods. But they can say 0 grams trans if there serving size contains .4999 of a gram or less. So if i make a bottle of pure trans and my serving size is .4999 then i can label it as 0 grams trans fat. Also olive oil does not contain trans fat.

Question: Ok, chem students. What is the difference between a trans fat and a partially hydrogenated oil? I thought they were related, so when I bought a margarine type product that said no trans fat on the label, I was surprised to read in the fine print that it does have partially hydrogenated oils.

Answer: A trans fat is a specific type of partially hydrogenated oil. I can't draw diagrams here, but this wikipedia article does a good job explaining the difference. The partially hydrogenated oils in your margarine are all in the cis configuration. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat

Question: How can I get my mom to stop buying trans fat containing food? She doesn't think it is bad for you. I have tried to tell her, and she has heard from other people, but she doesn't listen. She'll buy donuts which have 4 grams trans fat each and eat 3. I'm the only one in my family who is concerned about it.

Answer: try showing her this website and telling her that Several decades of research show consumption of trans fatty acids promotes heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunction, and obesity and reproductive problems. but it is ok if you limit the trans fats http://www.mom-mom.com/trans_fats.htm

Question: How can i start an essay talking about trans fat and it's dangers? and in what order should i list the topics i should talk about,such as how trans fats are formed,its dangers,what foods have trans fat.

Answer: Have you seen the movie Super-Size Me? Or Fast Food Nation? Trans fat is a hot topic in today's society. Talk about how trans fats are formed first. Then what food have trans fats, then about its dangers. You want to leave the most important stuff at the end.