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As some of you have seen me mention before, more and more
evidence is mounting every day from scientists and researchers
revealing that the artificial trans fats that are loaded into
your food supply in huge quantities are one of the WORST things
that you can put into your body. Trans fats have even been
compared to cigarettes as being just as bad, if not worse, for
your health. Unless you're a label reader, most people don't
even realize how many of the foods they eat daily are loaded
with these deadly trans fats.
Here's another thing that even most most health professionals
don't realize... There is actually a distinction between the
nasty artificial trans fats, and some natural trans fats that
can actually improve your health and help you get leaner. I
wrote an article about this little-known topic previously:
Bad Trans Fats vs. Good Trans Fats - an Unknown for Most
Most people don't realize how bad the problem is with the
prevalence of trans fats in our food supply. Did you know that
scientific research has indicated that as little as 1-2 grams of
artificial trans fat daily in your diet can contribute
significantly to your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other
health risks. I glanced at a label on a little single serving
fruit pie at a corner market the other day, and that little pie
had 5 grams of trans fat.
Between processed snack foods, fast foods, and deep fried foods,
some people are taking in 20-30 grams of trans fat per day
without even realizing it... and yet as little as 1-2 grams/day
has been shown to cause health risks! Now you see the HUGE
problem and why the health risks are comparable, if not worse,
than cigarettes.
The thing is, when it comes to cigarettes, almost everyone in
the world understands the health risks with smoking. They simply
choose to smoke despite the risks. However, when it comes to
trans fats, the vast majority of the population either still
does not know how bad trans fats really are for you, or most are
not aware how prevalent trans fats are in the food supply, or
what foods they are found in. Most people think... "Oh, it's
approved by the FDA, so it must be safe". That's foolish
thinking.
Good News, Finally!
I just recently saw some great news which is proving that health
officials are finally getting the message about how bad
artificial trans fats really are for our health and that
something needs to be done to protect consumers.
New York city recently became the first major US city to ban
artificial trans fats in all restaurants, corner food shops,
bakeries, and other types of eateries throughout the entire
city. Apparently, the businesses will have approximately 6
months to phase out the use of trans fats in their frying oils,
and they will have 18 months to phase out the use ! of all other
trans fats in their foods due to use of margarines, shortenings,
and hydrogenated oils added to other products.
On top of that, the state of Massachusetts just introduced a
bill that would make them the first state to ban trans fats in
restaurants. Other positive and significant changes regarding
trans fats in the food industry recently include the fast food
chains Wendy's and KFC who have both switched to frying oils
without trans fats. Word is that McDonalds and Taco Bell are
both researching alternative oils to avoid artificial trans fats
as well.
Thankfully things are starting to change as more and more
scrutiny continues to force the food manufacturers to reduce
and/or eliminate their use of trans fats.
The best advice I can leave you with is that only YOU are
looking out for your health, NOT the food companies and
restaurants. Therefore, you need to be an educated and informed
consumer and read labels to avoid artificial trans fats as best
as possible, if not completely.
Better yet , simply avoid processed food altogether and you
don't have to read labels. If all you buy are whole foods like
meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other unprocessed foods in
their whole natural state, you can be certain to avoid all of
the worst things that plague our food supply. Article Source:
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