Transcripts

Mike Carruthers:
You've probably heard that trans fat in processed food is bad for you. Then why is it there?

Ronni Litz Julien:
Ten or fifteen years ago in the food product we were putting in saturated fats; coconut oil, palm oil.

Registered dietician, Ronni Litz Julien, author of the book, The Trans Fat Free Kitchen…

And then they did enough research to realize that saturated fat was terrible for the heart, terrible for the arteries and they needed to find something else to put in as a fat source. Hence partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening. What does that mean? They put hydrogen into a fairly healthy oil, made it partially hydrogenated and then put that in as the fat source.

But about ten years ago more research was done and it was discovered that this trans fat or partially hydrogenated fat is also bad for you.

I have read some of the research that it's ingesting plastic. That the body doesn't know what to do with this type of oil because it's been altered in this laboratory and it is very, very dangerous to the heart and can, at some point, destroy the artery.

And Ronni says according to government recommendations there is no acceptable level.

And that's what's a little frightening to us is that the saturated fats, the American Heart Association said; "Ok, they're bad. But if you consume 10% of your daily calories as saturated fats it's not going to kill you." The partially hydrogenated fat they have said there is zero tolerance for.

Tomorrow, where you'll find this bad fat- I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.