The human body requires two kinds of healthy fats monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. They are a major source of energy. They help absorb some vitamins and minerals and build cell membranes and the sheaths surrounding nerves. The fat that is harmful to our body is known as trans fatty acids or TFAS. There are two broad types of TFAS found in foods, naturally occurring and artificial. Trans fat is naturally present in some products like red meat and dairy products. Artificial trans fats are considered as harmful and are created in an industrial process. This is done to make them more solid increase their shelf life and for use as an adult trend as they are cheap.
In 2004 Denmark became the first country to limit industrially produced trans fat content in all foods to two percent of fats and oils. Many other countries have since adopted similar restrictions. In 2011 India first passed a regulation that set a trans fatty acid limit of 10 percent in oils and fats. This was further reduced to 5% in 2015.
In 2018 the World Health Organization called for a global elimination of industrially produced tfas by 2023. On 29 December 2020, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India or FSSAI reduced the permissible limit of tfas in oils and fats to three percent for 2021 and 2% by 2022 against the earlier cap of 5%.
Two months later the FSSAI amended its rules to put a cap on tfas in food products as well.
Responsibilities of Government to control trans fat in food
Industrial tfas cannot be present in food products that include edible oils and fats in excess of 2%. This started working on January 1st, 2022. Experts say that eliminating the harmful ingredient from the food supply is a clear step in the right direction towards creating safer and healthier food systems. However, the biggest challenge now for the government lies in the implementation of the FSSAI will need to pursue local governments to improve surveillance inspection of food premises sampling of food products regular training of officers, and upgradation of food labs.
Trans fats are out the Food and Drug Administration is telling food companies they have three years to remove from processed foods most partially hydrogenated oils a primary source of trans fats. Trans fats are not safe for humans they increase LDL cholesterol which is the bad Dalhousie cholesterol and they decrease HDL cholesterol and this leads to heart. In 2013 there’s really came out that information that trans fats are bad for us. So it’s taken a little bit of time to implement it and now We have three years to see it removed from the food.
How you can control trans fat from your body
Trans fat is a type of fat found in processed and fried foods that can have a negative impact on your health. It is important to limit your intake of trans fat in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips on how to control trans fat in your body:
1. Avoid processed and fried foods. Processed and fried foods are often high in trans fat, so it is best to avoid them as much as possible. Instead, choose lean proteins, nutritious grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Read food labels. When shopping for food, it is important to read the labels and look for trans fat. Trans fat is present when the label refers to “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil.”
3. Limit saturated and trans fats. Saturated and trans fats are found in many processed and fried foods, so it is important to limit your intake of these fats.
4. Choose healthier fats. Instead of saturated and trans fats, opt for healthier fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats can be found in foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil.
5. Exercise regularly. Exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity can help you control your weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.
By following these tips, you can help control trans fat in your body and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are key to controlling trans fat and staying healthy.
Foods that have a high percentage of trans fat
Now what are some of the popular products that everyone loves that are filled with trans fats I think one of the most common things we have in our pantry is the microwave popcorn that has trans fats in them. Some french fries have trans fats in and that you’ll get from restaurants.
When you look at a food product and see that waxy sort of caramelized product the processing to it that is really a trans fat it’s part of the baking processing preserving fact that is added to foods and what it does is change how the food is processed in the body so it’s increasing cholesterol this cholesterol has been directly linked to cardiovascular disease but this also leads to dementia this leads to all the problems of the body where arteries are associated it’s all bad. So we can look at our labels on processed foods and we can be careful there but what about when we go out to eat Aren’t there some foods where trans fats are naturally occurring it’s not that naturally occurring food this is added to the foods and part of the processing things and like its mentioned french fries is one of the most common things. Usually, it’s in the fast food sort of industry but when we look about when trans fats were added to the food it was during that time when we thought saturated fats were so bad for us.
So they took out the saturated fats and added these trans fats and actually sugars and that was during that low-fat cream when snack wells and all of those foods were exactly and that was the time when if you notice that’s when people became more obese when diabetes started increasing when the risk factors for heart disease started going up. So that was when trans fats entered our diet and it’s not naturally part of anything it’s added.
So again look at the labels because it’s there now these recent restrictions by the FDA while very strict fall short of outright banning trans fats.
Final thoughts
We are at a very critical point in our country There has been a 70% increase in obesity we are looking at children who have elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure as a nation, This is really a wake-up call it’s time for us to do something and believe it or not just banning trans fats will reduce the incidence of death from fatal heart attacks and cardiovascular disease by thousands and thousands and thousands of people. So it’s a moment in time where we have to look at the state of our nation and the health of our country and our kids and say what are we going to do how are we gonna become more healthy banning trans fats is one of the critical pieces to this so a positive step for our nation’s health.
