A big, FAT balancing act
BY ERIKA ROSE
Times Correspondent | Monday, April 07, 2008
Saturated fats first started getting a bad rap in the 1950s when research proved them to be detrimental to heart health, and the American Heart Association began advising Americans to limit the fats in their diets.
In response, pressure mounted for food companies to reduce saturated fat. In the 1980s, fast-food companies began cooking with trans fat instead. Also known as partially hydrogenated oil, trans fat is a man-made fat that also happened to improve taste and shelf life of foods.
It wasn't until fairly recently, the 1990s, that researchers learned that trans fat is even more damaging to one's health than saturated fat. Not only does trans fat raise the amount of LDL, or bad, cholesterol in the blood, but it also reduces the amount of HDL, or good, cholesterol. It is now well known that even small amounts of this fat are a health risk.
In 2006, food labels began listing trans fats separately as consumers are becoming educated about the negative affect of trans fats. The New York City Board of Health was the first to ban trans fats from restaurants.
Now, experts are worried that in the midst of the push to get trans fat out, saturated fats are being put back in, diminishing the benefit.
It seems talk about fats has come full circle.
It's no wonder "fat" has become an all-around dirty word when it comes to nutrition. With all the confusing information, is it easier to avoid all fat?
Nutritionists say not so. All fats shouldn't get a bad rap.
Not getting enough of the good, heart-protective fats can be a health hazard, they say.
Getting the right balance of fats in one's diet is a challenge not just for the average consumer but for dietitians who guide those with health conditions amid a jungle of ever-changing information, even crafting their advice at times to circumvent what agriculture is already doing to alter food.
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