Did you know that excessive long-term intake of Trans fat from foods may increase your risk of developing heart disease? In the Philippines, Cardiovascular disease or CVD including Heart Attack and Stroke is the number one cause of death and known comorbidity of COVID-19. In 2020, about half of Filipinos who died from COVID also suffered comorbidities which include Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) which is a kind of CVD. One of the risk factors that contribute to the development of these diseases is an unhealthy diet and lifestyle such as excessive intake of salty foods and foods with Trans Fat and lack of physical activity.
Trans Fats are chemically modified fats from vegetable oils that are transformed into semi-solid fats or partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats to increase their shelf life when added to food products such as baked goods, pastries, and other processed foods. They can also be found naturally occurring in some animal products such as meat, cheese, butter, and dairy products. In a 2015 Meta-analysis, total trans-fat intake is associated with an increased risk of mortality from Coronary Heart Disease by 28 - 50%. In the same study, they also noted that industrial sources of trans fat from processed foods are associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease by 4 - 33% as compared to trans fats from natural food sources.
With these findings, government policies have been formulated to regulate the use of trans fat in processed food items in its efforts of reducing the consumer’s risk of heart disease due to chronic trans fat intake. The DOH AO 2021-0039 or the National Policy for the Elimination of Industrially-Produced Trans Fat and the FDA Circular 2021-028 or the Guidelines for Prepackaged Processed Food Products Containing Trans Fatty Acids (TFA) aims to provide guidance for food manufacturers and sellers on how to transition from old product formulations with partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats to trans fat-free products. The main goal is to remove them completely or to reduce them. For those with naturally occurring trans fat such as ruminant sources such as animals and dairy products, the recommended limit is 2 grams of trans fat for every 100 g or 100 mL of the product.
While we are still in the transition phase, you may start reducing your trans fat intake by reducing your intake of foods high in Trans Fats and choosing healthier food options. The following are some tips on how to reduce your trans fat intake and how to make your diet heart healthy:
1. Reduce intake of foods high in Trans Fat
Reduce the intake of the following foods high in trans fat:
- Baked goods or pastries
- Cheese and Dairy Products
- Butter, Margarine
- Meat such as Pork and Beef
2. Read the Nutrition Facts Label and Ingredient list.
When reading the nutrition facts label, check if the trans fat content is zero or less than 2 g. You may also check the ingredient list for partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats.
3. Choose healthier fat sources or ingredients for cooking and baking.
Choose plant-based oils such as canola or corn oil for cooking or baking instead of lard, butter, or margarine. You may also replace full cream milk or heavy cream with low-fat yogurt or low-fat versions to reduce the trans fat content.
4. Choose whole foods rather than processed foods.
Whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and fresh meat, fish, or poultry are healthier food alternatives than processed foods. Processed foods contain additional ingredients that are intended to increase shelf life but may cause negative side effects when consumed in high amounts for the long term. Thus, go for home-cooked meals and explore healthier food alternatives from plant sources.
5. Increase your dietary fiber intake from fruits and vegetables.
Dietary fiber has a positive impact in magneting excess fat from the diet and reducing the absorption of cholesterol and fats - this can help improve cardiovascular health and aid in managing dyslipidemia or high blood cholesterol levels. Also, by increasing the intake of high fiber foods, there is also less chance for eating processed foods that may contain trans fats.
These nutrition tips can help reduce trans fats in your diet and help improve your cardiovascular health when combined with regular physical activity. If you are interested to know more about local programs on Trans Fat elimination and learning materials, you may visit the “Trans Fat Free Philippines” facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/transfatfreephilippines or visit their website “Trans Fat Free Philippines” at https://transfatfreephilippines.org/ . So start choosing trans fat free to keep our hearts healthy and happy!
/AET
References:
[1] Department of Health. (2022). Webinar on Heart to Heart: Taking Care of Our Hearts Amidst the Pandemic. Facebook Live. Date Accessed 21 Feb 2022. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1179495852454647
[2] Raymond, J. L., & Morrow, K. (2020). Krause and Mahan’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
[3] De Souza, R. J., Mente, A., Maroleanu, A., Cozma, A. I., Ha, V., Kishibe, T., ... & Anand, S. S. (2015). Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Bmj, 351.
