(NECN) - The FDA is drafting a plan to ban trans fats nationwide, following the lead of several states.
Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at BMC, joined us with more on how this decision could change what we eat and save lives.
Haven't a lot of trans fats already been phased out?
“It says zero if it contains less than 0.5 grams per serving, so that’s the trick. So there still may be small amounts of trans fats in processed food.”
Dr. Apovian says really zero is much healthier.
What are trans fats and why are they so bad for you?
“Trans fats are just unsaturated fats that have hydrogen added to them in a process that makes them more solid and when added to foods, processed food, it enhances shelf life and flavor stability.”
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She says you’ll still have taste if you replace it with something a little healthier; the shelf life is the problem.
What are substitute options?
Dr. Apovian says unsaturated fat, saturated fat like butter and some margarines. While they aren’t great for us, at least they are natural.
