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FDA’s decree to ban artificial trans fats expected to reduce CHD
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The FDA in June announced that it finalized its decision that partially hydrogenated oils, the primary dietary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, are not generally recognized as safe for use in human food.
The decision, which gives food manufacturers 3 years to remove partially hydrogenated oils from their products or petition the FDA to allow specific uses of partially hydrogenated oils, was driven in part by concern over heart health, agency leaders said.
“The FDA’s action on this major source of artificial trans fat demonstrates the agency’s commitment to the heart health of all Americans,” Stephen Ostroff, MD, acting commissioner of the FDA, stated in a press release. “This action is expected to reduce [CHD] and prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year.”
Trans fats “are one of the strongest nutritional predictors of heart disease,” Frank M. Sacks, MD, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention in the nutrition department of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in an interview with Cardiology Today. According to Sacks, trans fats increase LDL and markers of inflammation, decrease LDL and can accelerate atherosclerosis.
“Really, no amount of trans fat in the diet is OK. The relations between trans fat and CVD are linear, so the harmful effect begins at low levels of intake on up,” Sacks said. “I hope that food manufacturers will move quickly to remove trans fats, and replace the trans fats with other healthier fats. Removal of trans fat is long overdue. It will reduce CVD.”
The FDA tentatively determined in 2013 that partially hydrogenated oils could no longer be considered generally recognized as safe and finalized its decision after considering public comments.
“Studies show that diet and nutrition play a key role in preventing chronic health problems such as [CVD],” Susan Mayne, PhD, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, stated in the release. “This determination is based on extensive research into the effects of [partially hydrogenated oils], as well as input from all stakeholders received during the public comment period.”
Sacks told Cardiology Today that cardiologists will not need to discuss the FDA’s decision with their patients because food manufacturers will be removing trans fats, but they can counsel them on “using polyunsaturated vegetable oils in their cooking and in purchases, since polyunsaturated fats are the best replacement for saturated fats.”
The FDA has required food manufacturers to list trans fat content information on nutrition labels since 2006; products with less than 0.5 g trans fat per serving may be labeled as 0 g trans fat. As a result, the agency estimates that trans fat consumption in the United States has declined 78% between 2003 and 2012. However, the Institute of Medicine recommends that trans fat consumption be “as low as possible,” according to the release.
Trans fat consumption has been linked to other health problems beyond CVD. Researchers presented at the 2014 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions a report demonstrating that young men with high trans fat consumption had poorer scores on a memory test compared with men who had lower intake. Each gram per day of dietary trans-fat intake was associated with approximately 0.76 fewer words recalled (P = .006).
In addition, according to the AHA’s website, trans fats are linked with increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes. – by Erik Swain
- References:
- American Heart Association. www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp. Accessed July 16, 2015.
- Bui A, et al. Abstract #15572. Presented at: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions; Nov. 15-19, 2014; Chicago.
- For more information:
- Frank M. Sacks, MD, can be reached at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115; email: fsacks@hsph.harvard.edu.
Disclosures: Ostroff and Mayne are both affiliated with the FDA. Sacks reports no relevant financial disclosures.