When asked what’s the worst thing in the American diet, a dietitian will tell you this: artificial trans fats. These hydrogenated oils have become a pernicious component in our food supply, and the message about their health detriments only worsens. — Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are significant contributors to cardiovascular disease, which remains the number one killer of both American men and women. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that they are in the early stages of heart disease when diet intervention can help to prevent its progression. Perhaps most frightening is that young children are also showing signs of heart disease. For children, whose bodies are much smaller and whose nutritional needs are much different than adults, now is the time to remove them from their diets too. Growing bodies and brains do not thrive on trans fats. The following article provides more compelling evidence about why even small amounts* of these oils do not belong in anything we eat.
For some women, trans fats could be deadly. (Reuters, Dec. 2, 2009)
*The American Heart Association advises all adults to get less than 1 percent of their daily calories from trans fat — which is only 2 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet.
