The poison that’s still lurking in our food supply

Did you know that there are still trans fatty acids in our food? The government started regulating trans fats in 2006. So I’m actually shocked that this is still a problem.

Of course “regulating” isn’t the same as “banning.” So trans fats didn’t just go away. But it’s high time they did.

We’ve known for decades that these fats cause more harm than saturated fats.

Trans fats raise your risk of heart disease by promoting inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. In other words, they essentially destroy your arteries from the inside out. They also decrease insulin sensitivity, which ups your risk of diabetes.

One other “fun” fact about trans-fats: They became more and more prevalent at the same time the obesity epidemic started. Coincidence? I seriously doubt it.

It’s no wonder most other industrialized nations have already outlawed trans fats entirely. So why are we still using them?

Because trans fats are so entrenched in the food manufacturing process. And manufacturers couldn’t figure out how to deliver Twinkies to every convenience store and school cafeteria in America without them. So, to keep everyone happy, the Feds settled for “regulating” trans fats. And look where that got us. Nowhere healthy, that’s for sure.

Frozen pizza still contains up to 5 grams of trans fat per serving. And microwave popcorn (for those of you who still think of it as a healthy snack) contains a whopping 7 grams of trans fat per serving.

Eliminating trans fats from our food supply entirely could potentially save 7,000 lives each year. And prevent 20,000 coronary events. If that’s not enough of an incentive, I don’t know what is.

In the meantime, you can eliminate trans fats from your food supply by avoiding processed, packaged foods. Simple as that.