Trans fat substitutes?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Are trans-fat alternatives better? See the below from the NY Times.

June 25, 2005

As Serious as a Heart Attack

Most people who pay attention to their diets know that partially hydrogenated

oil

contains trans fat that clogs the arteries and reduces the " good " cholesterol

that

helps unclog them. Beginning next year, companies must disclose trans-fat

amounts on

food labels. But it is already clear that the Food and Drug Administration is

going

to have to do more to protect the public from heart-threatening fats.

One problem, detailed in a report from the Center for Science in the Public

Interest, is that some companies that don't use trans fat nevertheless use other

dangerous oils. Other companies, searching for trans-fat alternatives, are

turning

to unhealthy fats. The most popular is palm oil, a saturated fat that is widely

believed to promote heart disease and whose main distinction is that it is less

harmful than trans fat.

Some companies that make products with palm oil, including Newman's Own Organics

popcorn and cookies, emphasize on their packages that their products are

trans-fat

free and note the relative advantage of palm oil over trans fat. But all this

does

is create the false impression that palm oil is good for you. The F.D.A. should

act

quickly to stop labels that could mislead consumers. The agency should also

encourage the use of healthier alternatives like certain safflower and sunflower

oils and promising new blends.

The ultimate aim, however, should be to end the widespread use of partially

hydrogenated oils. As things now stand, the F.D.A. acknowledges that trans fats

are

unhealthy at any level, and yet maintains that the partially hydrogenated oils

that

contain them are basically safe. The agency can't have it both ways. Public

health

would be greatly improved if the F.D.A. prohibited their use.

Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

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