Many people react to proposed government bans on trans fats as an affront on their freedoms. It is not.

You have to understand what trans fats are. Perfectly healthy vegetable oils are subjected to heat and pressure, in an atmosphere of hydrogen, along with metal catalysts, to produce partially hydrogenated oils. These trans fats have no beneficial effects on the human body, and exist only to save food producers a few cents in added shelf life.

The negative health effects of trans fats are staggering. It literally should be a crime to put anything with trans fats in any food. Long-term cholesterol problems lead to hardening of the arteries, cardiac problems, stroke, memory loss and even worse effects in the form of cognitive decline. How about erectile dysfunction?

Your cholesterol numbers matter, and they are critical to your health. It's important that all of us realize this, including young people.

And no, banning trans fats should not increase the use of cholesterol-rich animal fats. There are numerous healthy vegetable oils available. A health-conscious and informed public will determine what's in our food, something that hasn't been happening until recently.

take care,

Harry

PS: avoid french fries like the plague, they are saturated in trans fats!