Nutrition labels to include trans fats
New requirement will help you make better food choices.
To avoid heart disease, everyone should avoid trans fats. This rule especially applies to people with diabetes because their disease increases their risk of heart problems.
That’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring food manufacturers to add trans fat information to nutrition labels by Jan. 1, 2006.
“This change will benefit everyone,” says Virginia Bennett, dietitian and diabetes educator with Allina Medical Clinic.
What are trans fats?
Trans fatty acids – trans fats – are made when vegetable oils are processed, or hydrogenated, into shortening and stick margarine. Pre-packaged snacks, fried food, baked goods and other foods made with “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “vegetable shortening” all have trans fats.
Small amounts of trans fats occur naturally in some animal products such as dairy products.
How will the new label look?
On the new label, you won't see a percent daily value for trans fats. Bennett explains, “The government doesn’t recommend any amount of trans fats.”
If a food has more than 0.5 grams of trans fats, you’ll see the amount listed below the amount of saturated fats. Like today, if you see “shortening,” “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “hydrogenated vegetable oil” among the ingredients listed, the food has trans fats.
How does this affect you?
Looking for trans fats on the new nutrition label will help you make heart healthy food choices. (The less trans fats the better.)
“It is still important to watch serving sizes,” says Bennett. “Because manufacturers won’t have to list trans fats if there is less than 0.5 grams, the serving sizes may be smaller. This means you could be eating more trans fats than you realize if you have more than one serving.”
Trans fats increase your risk for heart disease because they raise the LDL (low density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol levels in your blood and they lower your HDL (high density lipoprotein) or “good” cholesterol. “This is exactly the opposite of what you want,” says Bennett.
When too much LDL builds up on your artery walls, plaque forms and blocks blood flow in vessels leading to your heart, legs and brain. This can cause heart attacks, peripheral artery disease and strokes.
Dialog home page
Keeping your heart healthy when you have diabetes What is fat? Understanding cooking fats and oils
Source: Allina Health System Press, Cholesterol and Fat, nutr-ahc-13115 (02/04); Allina Health System Press, Cholesterol and Heart Disease, cvs-amc-32503 (01/03); Virginia Bennett, diabetes educator, registered dietitian, Allina Medical Clinic; United States Food and Drug Administration
First published: 09/26/2005
Last updated: 09/26/2005
Reviewed by: Mary Frederick, RN, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic; Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Internet/Intranet Services, Allina Hospitals & Clinics
|