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Ok, it might be presumptuous of me to say that actor Robert De Niro really cares about improving people’s heart health, but at least the Myriad Restaurant Group running the restaurants De Niro co-owns knows better than to use trans fats in the food they serve. New York City is hoping to make all restaurants within the city stop using trans fats by July 2008 or be subject to a fine. Chicago would like to do the same.
What foods tend to have the most trans fats?
- Shortenings, stick (or hard) margarine
- Cookies, crackers, snack foods
- Fried foods (including fried fast food)
- Doughnuts, pastries, baked goods
- Other processed foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils
Trans fats are believed to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol, thus increasing the chances of atheroscleroris or clogged arteries.
It’s easy to figure out if the food you eat contains trans fats. On the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods, trans fat is listed under total fat.
From the American Heart Association:
The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that keeps intake of trans fats and saturated fats as low as possible (with less than 10 percent of daily calories coming from trans fats and saturated fats combined), as both of these are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
I’m not sure if I agree with banning trans fats as a law. What could also work is making it a source of pride for restaurants to be able to say “No trans fats used in any of our dishes” similar to those that say “No MSG.” I would certainly prefer restaurants that are upfront about their use of ingredients.
Boston Herald, September 28, 2006
Technorati Tags: fats, trans fats, diet, new york, nyc, new york city, rober de niro, heart, heart disease, cholesterol, ldl, hdl, cardiovascular, cvd
