Associated Press
Days after city health officials proposed outlawing trans fats in eateries, Mayor Bloomberg defended the ban and tried to drag Robert De Niro into the debate because the actor's restaurants do not use the man-made oil.
Confessing his love for french fries and oily popcorn, the mayor said everyone could still enjoy those snacks because they can be made without the artificial trans fatty acids, which are thought to cause cholesterol problems and increase risk of heart disease.
Experts say corn, canola and soy oils are safer but generally taste and cost the same as the trans fats.
"You're getting an ingredient out that nobody's going to miss," Bloomberg said.
(The science of trans-fats in a nutshell and some possible actions you can take below the flip.)
First some science, largely courtesy of
Dr. Michael Lam's Fat and Cholesterol
There are four basic kinds of fat: saturated fat (mostly from butter, meat, poultry, and whole milk), monounsaturated fat (mostly from olive oil, peanut butter, and canola), polyunsaturated fat (mostly from oily fish, unprocessed vegetable oils, nuts and seeds), and trans fat (mostly from deep-fried fast food, margarine, and commercial baked goods). Many foods contain more than one kind of fat. The fat content in foods often helps to bring out the flavor and produce the crispy, creamy, or other texture that we desire.
Fat is not an unhealthy thing in and of itself. Fat is made up of various fatty acids, which our body uses for both basic cellular function and also to survive. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 are found in both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and cannot be produced by our bodies and must be consumed in sufficient quantity. Most people do not consume enough Omega-3 (oily fish is a great source, but don't discount seaweed, vegetables, nuts, seed, and even free-range lean meat, poultry, and eggs), on a regular basis and a serious defficiency can lead to decreased IQ.
Most people already know that the high intake of saturated fat that many Americans consume can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in people with abnormally high LDL (good) cholesterol and abnormally low HDL (bad) cholesterol. An easy way to reduce one's consumption of saturated fat is to simply drain off and cut off excess fat from meat and poultry. Also try shopping for free-range meat and poultry (which tends to be lower in saturated fat) and consider switching to reduced-fat milk.
But many people have never heard of trans-fats, in part because they were previously classified as polyunsaturated fats, which although not as much as monounsaturated fats, are still largely good for one's health. But polyunsaturated oils tend to be liquid at room temperature and have a limited shelf life. Corporate food scientists found that by hydrogenating these oils, they become long-lasting solid fats that are inexpensive and easy to work into commercial food products. But this changes the fundamental 3-D structure of the fat molecules, turning them into by far the worst of all forms of fat.
A high intake of trans-fats exposes cell membranes to free radical attack and is linked degenerative conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Trans fat also increases the level of LDL (bad)cholesterol and reduces the level of (good) HDL cholesterol. "A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that trans fat is linked to a 93% rise in the risk of cardiovascular disease. The research also revealed that a replacement of 2% of trans fat consumed with [monounsaturated fat] (like nuts, olive oil, and flaxseed oil) could reduce heart disease risk by 53%." Other studies link trans-fats to obesity, diabetes, and liver disfunction.
However unlike every other kind of fat, trans-fats serve no pupose other than to at best save a few bucks for large corporations. There is no food made with artifical trans-fats that can't also be inexpensively made without artificial trans-fats, without any loss of flavor or texture whatsoever. This is purely about a marginal amount of corporate profit versus a massive amount of public health.
Now, what can you do to help get the toxic sludge known as trans-fats out of our food supply?
1. Get Informed.
A great place to start is BanTransFats.com, a California non-profit whose goal "is the reduction and elimination of partially hydrogenated oils from all food products." There is a ton of information on this web site.
2. Take action.
Written comments regarding the NYC proposal must be submitted by main to Rena Bryant, Secretary to the Board of Health, 125 Worth Street CN-31, New York, NY 10013, or via email to resolutioncomments AT health DOT nyc DOT gov, or by fax to Rena Bryant at 212-788-4315 on or before 5:00 pm on October 30, 2006.
TransFreeAmerica is a "campaign to eliminate partially hydrogenated vegetable oil from America's food supply." They have a web petition to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt requesting better food labeling in regards to trans-fats.