Trans Fats.Remember when animal-produced saturated fats became the fashionable concern of the times? Stuff like butter (boo!), lard (yuck!) and tallow (eww!) simply had to be replaced in the mainstream, but as typical selfish westerners we are, we didn't want to give up the taste these products offered us. You see, french fries cooked in simple vegetable oil didn't have the same taste and "mouthfeel" as it did when it was cooked in delicious animal fats. Science to the rescue! It was discovered that by taking plain old vegetable oil, it could go through a process that partially hydrogenated it. The result wasn't boring ol' vegetable oil, but something resembling the consistency of animal fat. The day is saved, and you now can enjoy your super-sized order of fries with just a little less guilt and fear. Pile that margarine on that Crisco-based muffin, it's all made with much healthier stuff! That was until lately, when it showed these partially-hydrogenated oils, commonly known as trans-fats, are far and away worse than the thickest lard or butter. You have two types of cholesterol in your body, a light side and a dark side. Plain old saturated fat boosts the bad cholesterol. Trans fat reduces the good cholesterol and greatly boosts the bad. This can result in bad stuff like heart disease, clogged arteries, and even diabetes. Thanks, science! What's worse is just how common this stuff is in prepackaged foods. Fast food is even worse. Most dieticians stress that if you must consume trans fats, limit it to no more than 2g a day. A typical meal from McDonald's contains three times that amount, mostly in the fries. God help you if you super size. One solution? Check the ingredients on everything you buy at the store. Even if touts "0g Trans Fat per serving!", check the ingredients anyway. If they contain "partially" right next to "hydrogenated", it has trans fats. Our loving FDA has decided if it contains less than 0.5 grams of the stuff, it can advertise itself as trans fat-free. Thanks, government! The guaranteed solution? Go visit your produce and meat sections and prepare and cook your own food. I know, God forbid.
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