The good oil on bad fats


I said, ‘get me a pic to do with “Trans Fat”, not “Fat Trans”‘
Photo by FredArmitage

I now think that people who are easily confused (like myself) are less likely to eat healthily given the amount of information now available to us about saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated fats and four-room HDB flats.

Naomi and I try sporadically to eat healthily, and because we are such ingterneck-savvy people, we’ve taken to reading up about what we’re eating in the hope of knowing what to eat and what we shouldn’t. This is what we know so far:

Don’t eat so much fatty food, but some fats are good;

Diary products contain unsaturated fats, so we shouldn’t eat so much, but we need the calcium;

Fish contain good fats, but also apparently contain mercury, which, if you don’t intend being a human thermometer, isn’t all that good for you. (Next time you think you’re running a temperature, stuff a mackerel in your mouth, and it’ll tell you if you need a panadol and a cold bath).

The FDA says, Scientific evidence shows that consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, and dietary cholesterol raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” levels, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, more than 12.5 million Americans have CHD, and more than 500,000 die each year. That makes CHD one of the leading causes of death in the United States.”;

and that, “Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for CHD. Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets. Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.”

Harvard (meaning it’s gotta be good and authoritative) nutritionists say that, By our most conservative estimate, replacement of partially hydrogenated fat in the U.S. diet with natural unhydrogenated vegetable oils would prevent approximately 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year, and epidemiologic evidence suggests this number is closer to 100,000 premature deaths annually.”

In Singapore, the HPB says, Yes. Trans fat raises LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and reduces HDL-cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) in the body. As a result, trans fat increases the risk of developing heart disease. There is no conclusive evidence to date for the effect of trans fat on other health risks such as diabetes or cancer. Currently there is also no evidence to show that consumption of trans fat found naturally in food will increase the risk of heart disease, so there is no reason to avoid beef, lamb, mutton or dairy products because they contain trans fat. “.

I don’t know, but our local health board advisory seems to sound a bit… what’s the word for it? Contradictorated? Polycontradictorated? Monocontradictorated… or at least partially contradictorated?

So, what can you do to figure out what’s good to eat and what isn’t?

The FDA made it compulsory from 2006 for manufacturers to state trans fat levels on food labels, so that you can figure out, say, whether to eat a slab of butter or a spoonful of margarine:

1 tablespoon of butter contains zero trans fat;

1 tablespoon of margarine contains 3 grams of trans fat;

But the same amount of butter contains 30 milligrams of cholesterol while margarine doesn’t. Arrgh! so which do I put on my toast before it gets cold?

OK, so you may be able to work out some sort of balance as to how much is considered “in moderation” for either. But here’s the rub:

U.S. labelling rules state that: “if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram [of trans fat], the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero.”

To that, the good folk at bantransfat.com say: “Suppose a product contains 0.4 grams per serving and you eat four servings (which is not uncommon). You have just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the package claims that the product contains zero grams of trans fat per serving.”

Nabeh, kenah bluff. Which is serious stuff considering the WHO recommends that total daily intake of trans fat should be below 2g.

Bantransfat.com also tells us that “Fully hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fat. However, if the word “hydrogenated” is used without the word “partially,” that product may contain partially hydrogenated oil. Not all labeling is accurate and the word “partially” may have been wrongfully omitted on some products.”

So, can kenah bluff again in instances where it’s not compulsory to list trans fat content (like here). Sure we’ve got promotional material at hawker centres and food stalls telling us that they don’t use lard in their cooking and use ‘vegetable oil’ instead. But you should know when they say “vegetable oil”, it really is usually palm oil or peanut oil if they don’t say otherwise, which is usually partially hydrogenated, which means it contains trans fat.

Our friendly local health board says they’ve been “working with ingredient suppliers to develop reduced trans fat shortenings used in baked products. To date, at least one major local biscuit manufacturer has switched to using trans fat free shortening, and several other pastry retailers will also be switching over to this shortening soon.”

In the meantime, ask yourselves, if your bread talks, and your Chang Kee is Old, is it because they contain partially hydrogenated oils?

It is a serious matter, especially is you look at the numbers of estimated premature deaths in the US, but no worry, because “This year, HPB will focus on fat as part of its nutrition education efforts. We have recently conducted a public forum on fats – look out for more events coming your way!”

Yay, events!

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18 responses to “The good oil on bad fats”

  1. J. Avatar
    J.

    you are right. it’s so darn confusing, after all this big hoo-haa about trans fats. to me, eating healthily still goes back to: no fried food (cancer causing), less oil, less sugar, less salt, less meat, less processed food, more fibre, more fruit/veg juice & what not. suppose we go liposuction & use our own lard. can do?

  2. J. Avatar
    J.

    you are right. it’s so darn confusing, after all this big hoo-haa about trans fats. to me, eating healthily still goes back to: no fried food (cancer causing), less oil, less sugar, less salt, less meat, less processed food, more fibre, more fruit/veg juice & what not. suppose we go liposuction & use our own lard. can do?

  3. potsandkisses Avatar
    potsandkisses

    the decision between butter and margarine is rather simple. if both leads to artherosclerosis, choose the one that tastes better. (:

    and coming from a nutrition background, the only thing i live by is to eat everything in moderation. that seems to work well enough.

  4. potsandkisses Avatar
    potsandkisses

    the decision between butter and margarine is rather simple. if both leads to artherosclerosis, choose the one that tastes better. (:

    and coming from a nutrition background, the only thing i live by is to eat everything in moderation. that seems to work well enough.

  5. uncle sha Avatar

    it would be much simpler to go vegetarian but i love my steaks

    i say in moderation to play safe

  6. uncle sha Avatar

    it would be much simpler to go vegetarian but i love my steaks

    i say in moderation to play safe

  7. […] Life, the universe and everything – My Very Own Glob: The good oil on bad fats […]

  8. kennysia Avatar

    It’s simple. The only fat that’s good is unsaturated fat. The only carb that’s good is complex carb.

    I normally go by that rule. But then I’m still fat.

  9. kennysia Avatar

    It’s simple. The only fat that’s good is unsaturated fat. The only carb that’s good is complex carb.

    I normally go by that rule. But then I’m still fat.

  10. Kelvin Wong Avatar

    One of the controversy of saturated fats is that the studies on saturated fats could have omitted the effect of having and increased transfat in the American diet. In one the commentaries by our local transfat fighter. Richard, (http://www.stop-trans-fat.com/roti-prata.html), he quotes:

    In India, a 1968 study found North Indians, who ate more meat and used mainly ghee (clarified butter) for cooking, had 17 times more saturated fats in their diets than South Indians, who were more vegetarians. However, North Indians had seven times less heart disease than Indians in the South.

    This was because, by the late 60s, South Indians had started the switch from coconut oil, which contains about 90 percent saturated fats, to margarine and other polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

    More recent studies show that North Indians are finally begin to catch up with the South in heart disease rates – because North Indians have started to use less ghee and more margarine and vegetable oils.

    Moreover, transfat does NOTHING to our body but harm, whereas we NEED saturated fats (albeit in moderation) in our diet to keep alive!

    To uncle sha, going vegetarian is not the issue, actually vegetarian are probably more exposed to transfat because partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil is used in place of butter and othe any products. Oreos is vegetarian, but it has trans fat.

  11. Kelvin Wong Avatar

    One of the controversy of saturated fats is that the studies on saturated fats could have omitted the effect of having and increased transfat in the American diet. In one the commentaries by our local transfat fighter. Richard, (http://www.stop-trans-fat.com/roti-prata.html), he quotes:

    In India, a 1968 study found North Indians, who ate more meat and used mainly ghee (clarified butter) for cooking, had 17 times more saturated fats in their diets than South Indians, who were more vegetarians. However, North Indians had seven times less heart disease than Indians in the South.

    This was because, by the late 60s, South Indians had started the switch from coconut oil, which contains about 90 percent saturated fats, to margarine and other polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

    More recent studies show that North Indians are finally begin to catch up with the South in heart disease rates – because North Indians have started to use less ghee and more margarine and vegetable oils.

    Moreover, transfat does NOTHING to our body but harm, whereas we NEED saturated fats (albeit in moderation) in our diet to keep alive!

    To uncle sha, going vegetarian is not the issue, actually vegetarian are probably more exposed to transfat because partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil is used in place of butter and othe any products. Oreos is vegetarian, but it has trans fat.

  12. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Thanks for the link, Kelvin!

  13. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Thanks for the link, Kelvin!

  14. J. Avatar
    J.

    kenny?…

    your fat is different. yours is “happy fat”. everytime ho jiak ho koon ho sng ho kua.. many people are envious of your kind of life. i picture that your fat is smiling everyday. since u get free travel so often now & your stubborn happy fat don’t want to go away, be patient & wait a little while. u just might get to endorse a slimming brand. who knows, right?

  15. J. Avatar
    J.

    kenny虾…

    your fat is different. yours is “happy fat”. everytime ho jiak ho koon ho sng ho kua.. many people are envious of your kind of life. i picture that your fat is smiling everyday. since u get free travel so often now & your stubborn happy fat don’t want to go away, be patient & wait a little while. u just might get to endorse a slimming brand. who knows, right?

  16. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Kenny Sia is fab, not fat.

  17. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Kenny Sia is fab, not fat.

  18. zocor recall Avatar

    Good share! The bottom line is that the type of fat you eat is what really matters.

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