In a new study from the University of Minnesota, researchers found that men consume nearly double the amount of trans fats that the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends.
The study revealed that guys take in 1.9 percent of their total calories from trans fats—heart-unhealthy fats that are commonly created in a process that turns liquid oils solid—though the AHA advises capping consumption at just 1 percent.
That means men who eat a 2,000-calorie diet average just under 2 grams (g) of trans fats a day, about the amount in one serving of Marie Callender’s Coconut Cream Pie.
This 1 g difference might not seem like a lot, but it still could be enough to raise your risk of heart attack or stroke, says study author Mary Ann Honors, Ph.D. Experts believe the more trans fats you eat, the more your risk increases.
“Trans fats can cause an increase in your bad cholesterol (your LDL) and a decrease in your good cholesterol (HDL),” she says. That’s similar to what saturated fats do to your body, but the effects of trans fats are even more pronounced.
Trans fats can be natural—found in very small quantities in meat and full-fat dairy—or artificial, where they’re created by a process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oils to make the fat more solid. This gives foods that contain this fat a longer shelf life. Experts are more concerned about man-made trans fats, which are more prevalent in your diet, says Honors.
The good news: Over the last 30 years, our consumption of trans fats has actually dropped over 30 percent, the study found.
And soon, it might plummet even further. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering finalizing a rule that would classify all artificial trans fats as food additives. This means foods that contain them would not be able to be sold in the U.S.—unless manufacturers would be able to prove that the trans fats were safe.
But in the meantime, here’s the dicey part: You might not even know when you’re eating them. According to current FDA rules, companies can smack “0 g” of trans fats on a food’s label as long as each serving doesn’t exceed 0.5 g of the stuff. So eat a few too many cookies, and you could be taking in a significant amount of trans fats.
Protect yourself by becoming a label detective, says Men’s Health nutrition advisor Mike Roussell, Ph.D. That means scanning the ingredients list for “partially hydrogenated oils,” which indicate that trans fats are lurking.
Pay special attention to frozen pizzas, doughnuts, margarine, microwave popcorn, and premade pastries or desserts, which commonly contain that type of fat. Cutting your consumption is a win for both your heart and your waistline, he says.