Label Mystery: SOLVED

It’s great that companies now must list the total amount of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label. After all, trans fat raises triglycerides as well as bad (LDL) cholesterol while and lowering heart-protective good cholesterol (HDL). These effects all contribute to inflammation in the body that can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Because of that we’re supposed to eat fewer than 2 grams a day according to the American Heart Association. But if you’re not careful, you could surpass that limit pretty quickly—and here’s why:

The FDA allows any amount of trans fat up to 0.5 grams to be labeled as “0 grams” on nutrition panels. However, if a person were to eat the recommended serving of, say, 10 different products in a day, each listing “0 grams trans fat” but really containing 0.5 grams, he’d have actually ingested 5 grams of trans fat, more than double the recommended amount. The best advice? Always check the ingredient list for trans fat red flags: If you see “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening,” the product contains the worst of the worst fats. If you spot one, consider skipping it.