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TO HEALTH, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
CDC Study Finds Levels of Trans-Fatty Acids in Blood of U.S. White
Adults Has Decreased
CONTACT: CDC Division of News & Electronic Media, +1-404-639-3286
ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blood levels of
trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in white adults in the U.S. population
decreased by 58 percent from 2000 to 2009 according to a Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention study published in the Feb. 8 edition
of the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is the first
time CDC researchers have been able to measure trans fats in human
blood.
CDC researchers selected participants from the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) years 2000 and 2009 to examine
trans-fatty acid blood levels before and after the Food and Drug
Administration's 2003 regulation, which took effect in 2006, requiring
manufacturers of food and some dietary supplements to list the amount
of TFAs on the Nutrition Facts panel of the product label. During this
period, some local and state health departments took steps to help
consumers reduce their daily consumption by requiring restaurants to
limit their use of TFAs in food and increase public awareness
campaigns about the health risks associated with TFAs.
"The 58 percent decline shows substantial progress that should help
lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults," said Christopher
Portier, Ph.D., director of CDC's National Center for Environmental
Health. "Findings from the CDC study demonstrate the effectiveness of
these efforts in reducing blood TFAs and highlight that further
reductions in the levels of trans fats must remain an important public
health goal."
The current study provides information for white adults only, and
additional CDC studies are under way to examine blood TFAs in other
adult race/ethnic groups, children, and adolescents, Dr. Portier
added.
This research is a part of CDC's larger National Biomonitoring
program, which currently measures more than 450 environmental
chemicals and nutritional indicators in people.
Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are not essential to human
health and do not promote good health. Research has indicated that
high consumption of trans-fatty acids is linked to cardiovascular
disease in part because TFAs increase LDL cholesterol ("bad"
cholesterol). Changing to a diet low in TFAs may lower LDL cholesterol
levels, thus decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease.
For more information on CDC's study: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
For more information on CDC's work in the National Biomonitoring
program: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/nbp.html
Background on study
CDC studied four major TFAs to provide a reasonable representation of
TFAs in blood: elaidic acid, linoelaidic acid, palmitelaidic acid, and
vaccenic acid. The study measured TFAs in 229 fasting adults from the
2000 NHANES and 292 from 2009 NHANES.
The study found the overall decrease in trans-fatty acids was 58
percent. For specific trans-fatty acids, decreases were: elaidic acid
- 63 percent, linoelaidic acid - 49 percent, palmitelaidic acid - 49
percent, and vaccenic acid - 56 percent.
About NHANES
CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination is a cross-sectional
survey of the U.S. population weighted to be nationally
representative. For this study, researchers used a randomly selected
one-half sample of white persons aged 20 years and older from the
morning fasting sample from NHANES 2000 and 2009.
About Trans Fats
-- The USDA/HHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend
keeping TFA consumption as low as possible, especially by limiting
foods that contain synthetic sources of trans fats, such as partially
hydrogenated oils, and by limiting other solid fats:
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm
-- TFAs in blood come from synthetic sources in foods, such as
partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and natural sources in foods,
such as milk.
-- Hydrogenation is used by food manufacturers to make products
containing unsaturated fatty acids solid at room temperature and
therefore more resistant to becoming spoiled or rancid.
-- Trans-fatty acids are produced by grazing animals, and small
quantities are therefore found in meat and milk products.
-- Since 2006, FDA has required nutrition facts labels to list the
amount of trans fats in food products. At restaurants, customers can
ask before they order, to know which fats are being used to prepare
the food. Many restaurants display nutritional content or can provide
it upon request,
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079609.htm.
CDC recommends
-- Look for the trans fat listing on the Nutrition Facts label.
Compare brands and choose the one lowest in trans fat, preferably with
no trans fat.
-- Replace margarine containing trans fat with unsaturated vegetable
oil.
-- If you use margarine, choose a soft margarine spread instead of
stick margarine. Check your labels to be sure the soft margarine does
contain less trans fat. If possible, find one that says zero grams of
trans fat.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
-0- 02/08/2012
CO: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
ST: Georgia
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