In October of last year, the American Heart Association (AHA) released a report showing that the amount of trans fats Americans eat has declined over the years, but we are still consuming more than is recommended.
Trans fats are often found in processed foods, like cookies, pizzas, pastries, pies, and more.
The study from AHA found that men consumed about 1.9 percent of their daily calories from trans fats, and women about 1.7 percent. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1 percent of daily calories to be trans fats.
Now, the FDA is ordering the food industry to eliminate trans fats all together, calling them a threat to public health.
This move will not make much of a difference to consumers as far as flavor, but the FDA believes that it will greatly reduce the incidences of coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of deadly heart attacks every year.
According to scientists, there are no health benefits to these fats. They are only used for improved texture and flavor, and for increased shelf life. Trans fats are believed to increase “bad cholesterol” and decreases “good cholesterol,” which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
In 2013, the FDA determined that trans fats (also known as partially hydrogenated oils) could no longer part of the “generally recognized as safe” list. This determination was made in order to begin phasing out trans fats from food.
The FDA has now made it final and is giving companies until 2018 to completely phase out trans fats for good.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Trans Fats Still Weighing Americans down.” AHA Newsroom. American Heart Association, 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 22 Jun 2015.
2. “Trans Fat: Avoid This Cholesterol Double Whammy.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 22 Jun 2015.
3. “Trans Fat.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Jun 2015.
4. “FDA Tells Food Industry to Phase out Artificial Trans Fats.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 16 June 2015. Web. 22 June 2015.
5. “Why Cholesterol Matters.” American Heart Association. American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 22 June 2015.
