Good & Bad Fats

It’s recommended that about 30% of our daily calories come from fat. But recent research now shows that the type of fat in the diet is also important. Consumers are hearing this message loud and clear, particularly in regards to trans fat. In 2006, the FDA mandated labeling of trans fat on packaged foods, and now cities and states are banning trans fat from America’s restaurants. And consumers have responded, according to International Food Information Council IFIC, whereby 3 out of 4 Americans say they are now concerned with the type of fat they consume, not just how much fat they consume.

Trans Fat

The majority of the 5 billion pounds of trans fat Americans consume each year come from partially hydrogenated cooking oils used to fry foods. Through a chemical process called hydrogenation, liquid vegetable oils are injected with hydrogen in the presence of a metal catalyst at high heat, which in turn “saturates” the oil, lending stability and shelf-life to a product that would otherwise spoil quickly. The end result is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, with a byproduct of this process being trans fat in the oil.

Studies have shown it is this fat that leads to increased “bad” cholesterol and lower “good” cholesterol, which is a significant risk factor in heart disease. This is why, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, elimination of trans fat can reduce heart disease by 23%.

Don't Trade Trans for Sats

Some research suggests that saturated fat is just as, if not more, harmful in increasing risk of heart disease and stroke than trans fat. Regardless, the American Heart Association deems them both “bad,” and Americans should significantly limit their daily intake.

This is important for restaurants and foodservice to understand, as well as dietitians and health leaders that influence them. As operators are looking to convert to healthier oil, they must ensure that they are not switching one bad fat (trans fat) for another (saturated fat). Most restaurants owners may not realize that while palm and cottonseed oils have zero trans fat, they are still very high in saturated fat (see “Comparison of Dietary Fats” below).

"Heart Healthy" Monounsaturated Fat and Omega-9 Oils

Omega-9 Oils are not only zero trans fat and the lowest saturated fat, but also uniquely high (>70%) in “good” monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is this unique fatty acid oil profile with high monounsaturated (omega-9) fat that rendered the “Omega-9 Oils” category name. And this same fatty acid profile of >70% omega-9 (oleic acid or monounsaturated fat) and <3% omega-3 (linolenic acid or polyunsaturated fat) not only offers the superior health, but also the great taste and oil performance necessary in demanding restaurant environments.

Health Claim

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Qualified Health Claim for canola oil, which states that replacing 1½  tablespoons of oil with canola oil can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content.

Cholesterol

Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are considered to be healthy fats as they can actually reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease. Saturated and trans fat are known as the bad fats as they increase the risk for coronary heart disease.

• Metabolic studies have shown that trans fat has adverse effects on blood lipid levels—increasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while actually decreasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol, leading to a number of health-related conditions.
• Deposits of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol can build up inside arteries. These deposits, called plaque, can narrow an artery enough to slow or block blood flow and result in heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
• Because of this, consumers should limit their intake of saturated fat (7% of daily calories or about 16g for an average 2000 calorie diet, according to American Heart Association), and eliminate trans fat in the form of partially hydrogenated oils from their diets.
• Using Omega-9 Oils allows restaurants, foodservice, and food manufacturers to offer foods that taste great and are a healthier alternative to partially hydrogenated oils because of their low levels of saturated fat and high levels of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.