By Emily Dillon
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
If the nutrition label reads "zero grams trans fat" it must be healthy, right? Wrong! As it turns out, federal regulations allow labels to read "zero grams trans fat" as long as a product contains less than 0.5 grams of the artery-clogging fat per serving.
Food for Thought
Unfortunately, most food packages contain more than one serving. A snack-size bag of cupcakes, for example, may contain zero grams of trans fat per serving, but when you consider that each bag contains two to three servings, that number jumps considerably. By the time you've devoured that bag of cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, you may have consumed up to two grams of trans fat.
Consumer groups and health officials have campaigned to phase out the use of trans fat completely because it contributes to heart disease by raising levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, while lowering HDL, or good cholesterol. Despite the movement to phase it out, many food companies continue to sneak small amounts into their products.
Label Literacy
What does this mean for health-conscious consumers? According to Bonnie Taub-Dix, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, it means following a few smart guidelines when filling your supermarket cart.
gotquestions qualityhealth.com
No comments:
Post a Comment