Crisco verus butter..I like earth balance

[Guest guest]

If I had a choice between lard or crisco I would take lard only it's not

vegetarian. Crisco is so bad for us.

Trans Fats 101

Increase your understanding of trans fatty acids -- harmful artificial fats

that the Federal Government now requires to appear on nutrition labels -- with

the help of University of Maryland Medical Center registered dietitian Mary Beth

Sodus.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shed light on a potentially serious

health threat recently when it announced that products containing trans fatty

acids require stringent nutritional labeling starting in 2006. And one city in

the U.S. has gone further. In December 2006, New York City became the first city

in the nation to ban artificial trans fats at all restaurants. Restaurants in

the city will be required to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of

their foods by July 2008.

Trans Fats 101

Trans fats can be natural or artificial. Small amounts of trans fat occur

naturally in beef and dairy foods. Artificial trans fats are made when hydrogen

gas reacts with oil. They can be found in cookies, crackers, icing, potato

chips, stick margarine and microwave popcorn. About 80 percent of trans fat in

American’s diet comes from factory-produce partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Trans fats are artificial fats made when hydrogen gas reacts with oil. They

can be found in cookies, crackers, icing, potato chips, margarine and microwave

popcorn.

Many manufacturers started including trans fats in their processed foods about

20 years ago to prolong their products' shelf life, but public health experts

warn that these kinds of fats clog arteries and cause obesity.

" Numerous studies have found that trans fats raise our risk of heart disease, "

said Mary Beth Sodus, a registered dietitian at the University of Maryland

Medical Center. " They can also contribute to an increase in total cholesterol

levels and a drop in the healthy HDL cholesterol. These man-made fats are much

worse for you than any other natural fat, even the saturated fats found in

butter and beef. "

Below are Sodus's answers to some frequently asked questions about trans fatty

acids:

What are Trans Fatty Acids?

They are man-made or processed fats, which are made from a liquid oil. When

you add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and then add pressure, the result is a

stiffer fat, like the fat found in a can of Crisco. Trans fats are also called

hydrogenated fats.

Why are They Bad for You?

Trans fats pose a higher risk of heart disease than saturated fats, which were

once believed to be the worst kind of fats. While it is true that saturated fats

-- found in butter, cheese and beef, for example -- raise total cholesterol

levels, trans fats go a step further. Trans fats not only raise total

cholesterol levels, they also deplete good cholesterol (HDL), which helps

protect against heart disease.

What Harm do They do to the Body?

The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries.

Artificial trans fats do the same thing in our bodies that bacon grease does to

kitchen sinks. Over time, they can " clog the pipes " that feed the heart and

brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke risk.

According to the comprehensive Nurses' Health Study -- the largest

investigation of women and chronic disease -- trans fats double the risk of

heart disease in women.

Why Have Trans Fatty Acids been Put in So Many Food Products?

No human body has any need for these man-made fats. Food manufacturers started

putting them in products because they allow for a longer shelf life. Crackers,

for example, can stay on the shelf and stay crispy for years in part because of

the hydrogenated fats in them.

Are Trans Fats Bad for Kids?

Trans fats increase the risk for heart disease. Therefore, children who start

at age 3 or 4 eating a steady diet of fast food, pop tarts, commercially

prepared fish sticks, stick margarine, cake, candy, cookies and microwave

popcorn can be expected to get heart disease earlier than kids who are eating

foods without trans fats.

While a person may not get heart disease until they are in their 40s, some of

our research here at the University of Maryland has shown that kids as young as

8, 9 and 10 already have the high cholesterol and blood fats that clog arteries.

By starting healthy eating habits early, parents can help their children avoid

heart attacks and stroke.

 

 

 

In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist

or a masochist. "

—Gloria Steinem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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