Watch those trans-fatty acids!

Heart disease kills women. In fact, each year more middle -age and older women die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer. The good news is that your risk of heart disease can be greatly reduced through lifestyle modifications--specifically a healthy diet and daily exercise.

The newest villain in the heart disease battle is trans fat, which the commercial food industry uses to fry, bake and extend the shelf life of food products. Compared to saturated fat, trans fatty acids (TFAs) are associated with a 2.5 to 10 fold higher risk of heart disease. TFAs increase harmful triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, decrease the good HDL cholesterol, as well as change the elasticity of the lining of the heart, blood and lymph vessels. We need to know our enemy. And the best way to get to know where trans-fats are is by reading the new labels that came into effect in December 2005 in Canada and January 1, 2006 in the United States.

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In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a push in the U.S. to rid foods of saturated tropical oils such as palm kernel and coconut because they were unhealthy. Many were replaced by industrial trans fats. TFAs are produced artificially by heating unsaturated liquid vegetable oils with hydrogen and catalysts to make them solid at room temperature. Commercially, vegetable oils are hydrogenated to create firmer shortenings and margarines used in baking and frying processes and to extend the shelf life of foods, which would otherwise go rancid over time. TFAs can be found in commercial cookies, cakes, crackers, pies, waffles, doughnuts, bread, potato chips, corn chips, microwave popcorn, candy bars, French fries, salad dressings and, until very recently, many margarines.

In 1996, Canadians ate more TFAs than the populations of 14 European countries--more than 8 grams per person per day. Since then, our intake has dropped to 4 to 5 grams on average. In the U.S., the FDA estimates the average daily intake of TFAs is 5.8 grams. There is no known safe level.

In Canada, the Trans Fat Task Force has been charged with providing the Minister of Health with concrete strategies to reduce industrially produced trans fats to the lowest possible level and to find alternatives. Canada is the first country in the world to introduce mandatory labelling of trans fat in pre-packaged foods. In Canada, to be labelled trans-fat free, a product must contain less than 0.2 g (200 mg) of TFA per standard portion and be low in saturated fat. In the U.S., the levels are not as stringent, allowing 0.5 g (500 mg) of TFA per portion. Many trans-free products are appearing on grocery shelves, including margarines, bread, pizza, fries, battered fish and snack foods. However, 22% of the average trans-fat intake of Canadian adults are consumed away from home, doughnuts and French fries being among the major offenders. Many food service operators are responding by modifying recipes and selecting ingredients and products that contain less trans fat or none at all such as canola or peanut oils. But it's still up to us to make the healthiest choice!</p> <pre> Nutrition Facts Amount % Daily Value Per 1 tablespoon (15 g) Calories 100 Fat 8 g 12 % Saturated 1 g

10 % + Trans 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 76 mg

3 % Carbohydrate 3 g 1 % Fibre 2 g

8 % Sugars 0 g Protein 4 g Vitamin A  0 % Calcium

1 % Vitamin C  0 % Iron

0 % </pre> <p>RELATED ARTICLE: The Trans Fat Task Force makes the following recommendations:

* Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on labels to choose products with no or low trans and saturated fat.

* Choose lower fat versions of products that contain trans fat such as microwave popcorn or croutons.

* Any dietary change should be made in the context of a healthy lifestyle.

* Keep active.

For more information on TFAs, check out www.healthcanada.ca/transfat or in the US www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html

By Nancy Heidenreich, R.D.

A registered dietitian for more than 35 years, Nancy Heidenreich has practised as a research dietitian, a private practitioner and as an educator. She is currently enjoying retirement north of Toronto.