We have probably all heard that trans fats are something to avoid but why they are so bad and the foods they are found in may be less well known. Here is everything you need to know about trans fats and how to avoid them.
What Are Trans Fats?
Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, are unsaturated fatty acids. Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fats our bodies need to be healthy, but as well as these “good” fats, there are fats that are not so healthy. The least healthy fats of all, and the ones with no benefits, are trans fats. These are found in meat and dairy (so-called “natural sources” of trans fats) as well as in many ultra processed foods, which are known as “industrial sources”. According to the World Health Organisation, both are equally harmful.
How Bad Are Trans Fats?
There are no upsides at all to consuming trans fats, and the optimal amount in our diets is zero. Even small amounts of trans fats can harm our health. According to Harvard, for every two percent of calories from trans fat we consume daily, the risk of heart disease rises by 23 percent. And the more we eat, the bigger the health risks. A high intake of trans fat increases the risk of death from any cause by 34 per cent. It increases coronary heart disease deaths by 28 percent, and coronary heart disease by 21 percent. There is probably nothing less healthy in the food we eat than trans fats.
What Foods Contain Trans Fats?
Meat and dairy from cows, sheep, and goats contain trans fats. That includes beef, burgers, jerky, lamb, mutton, milk, cheese, and other products made with the milk from cows, sheep, or goats.
Industrial sources of trans fats include margarine, baked goods such as crackers, pastries, and cookies, and fried foods such as fried chicken or French fries.
Why Are Trans Fats So Bad?
Trans fats are a double whammy of ill health. Not only do they raise the levels of (bad) LDL cholesterol in our blood, but they also reduce the levels of (good) HDL cholesterol. These two actions together significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. But that is not all they do. Trans fats are known to trigger systemic inflammation, which is linked to chronic conditions including arthritis, endometriosis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Why Do So Many Foods Contain Trans Fats?
The issue here is twofold: convenience and cost. Industrial trans fats are cheap to produce and they are in so many of the convenient but ultra processed foods that have defined our diets over the past 50 years. Now, as we learn more about these fats and the illnesses they cause, we have a chance to do something about it. We can actively seek out more natural foods of plant origin and get our trans fats intake down to zero.
Are Trans Fats Banned?
The first studies that exposed the health issues associated with trans fats appeared way back in the 1950s, and by the 1990s, there was plenty of evidence, thanks to the work of Professor Walter Willett and others. But just like the tobacco industry, the oil industry, the alcohol industry, and the meat and dairy industries—all industries that profit from products that can harm people—the processed food industry continued to assert that trans fats were not to blame. In 2013, Dr. Fred Kummerow of the University of Illinois, who also worked to expose the dangers of trans fats, finally sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its lack of action.
Today, 53 countries have taken some action on industrial trans fats being added to foods, with countries like Mexico and the United States banning the practice, while the European Union has set legal limits for the amount of industrial trans fats that can be added to foods. However, trans fats are still in processed foods because of the cooking processes they undergo, and they are still in meat and dairy from ruminant animals—cows, sheep, and goats.
How To Avoid Trans Fats
There are two key ways to avoid eating trans fats: avoid ultra processed foods and choose plant-based products. By avoiding fried, baked, packaged, and processed foods, we can avoid the industrial sources of trans fats. By avoiding animal products, we can avoid the equally harmful “natural” sources.
While adopting these two eating habits may be a significant shift from our current diets, it does not have to be complex, costly, and time-consuming. We recommend the “crowding out” method of transitioning to a healthy plant-based diet. Instead of thinking about what to avoid, think about what to include! Where possible switch like for like, such as enjoying plant milks in place of dairy products, and then set out to discover tasty new plant-based recipes. Transitioning over time from the old ways to the new makes the switch less daunting, more sustainable, and a lot more enjoyable.
These healthy, delicious, and simple plant-based recipes by Forks Over Knives are a great place to start.
Animals and Our Health
A final thought… Research consistently shows that being around animals is good for reducing stress and anxiety, and that has a powerful knock-on effect to our mental and physical well-being. So, cuddling a cow or a sheep is a great way to boost our health, while eating a cow or a sheep harms us as well as the animal. As we transition towards a plant-based diet and find out more about delicious plant-based foods and products, we can do ourselves another favor: we can visit an animal sanctuary. Go on! Cuddle a cow today. It’s doctor-prescribed!
Want to know more about why eating plant-based foods is so powerful for our health? Sign up for our free 7 Days Vegan for Health course.
