THE GREAT DEBATE: SATURATED FAT VS

TRANS FAT Brittney Hudson

SATURATED FATS

WHAT ARE THEY?

• Solid fats in the diet

WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?

• Meat and dairy products

Beef Pork

Butter Cream

Whole-fat Milk/Ice Cream Cheese

Coconut Oil Palm Oil

WHAT DO THEY CAUSE?

• Increase LDL cholesterol

• Increase risk for heart disease

• Ascherio and Willett – Saturated fats increased LDL but don’t decrease HDL

TRANS FAT

WHAT ARE THEY?

• Two kinds

• Natural

• Meat and dairy products

• Artificial

• Hydrogenated oils

HYDROGENATION

• Hydrogen is added to a liquid oil turning it into a solid fat

WHY?

• Increases:

• Melting point

• Shelf life

• Texture

• Stability

• Inexpensive

WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?

Fried foods Cake

Cookies Pie

Margarine Spreads

Ready-to-use frosting Coffee creamers

Also found in other foods made in commercial kitchens

WHAT DO THEY CAUSE?

• Increase LDL cholesterol

• Decrease HDL cholesterol

• Increase risk of

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Type II Diabetes

WHAT DO THEY CAUSE?

• Nurses Health Study – Total trans fat intake associated with elevated risk of CHD

• Costa Rica – Total trans fat intake associated with increased MI risk

• Mensink and Katan – Compared diet with 11% of calories from trans fat to a diet similar but with oleic acid. LDL increased, HDL decreased

HOW MUCH IS RECOMMENDED?

• American Heart Association:

• TRANS FAT - No more than 1% of total calories

• SATURATED FAT – No more than 7% of total calories

If you need

2000

Calories per day

This equals

15

Grams of saturated

fat per dayOr

2

Grams of trans fat per

day

2200 17 2.4

2400 18 2.6

2600 20 2.8

2800 22 3

3000 23 3.3

LABEL READING

• FDA labeling rules

• <0.5 g trans fat/serving – can claim 0g trans fat

• Serving Size

WHICH IS BETTER? SATURATED OR TRANS FAT?

What do YOU think?

WHICH IS BETTER? SATURATED OR TRANS FAT?

• Neither!

• Trans fats may have more negative effects

• But both should be limited in the diet

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

• Impossible to cut trans or saturated fat completely out of diet

• It’s ok to still eat those cookies or ice cream

• The key is moderation and label reading