When people think of being healthier, they always think of giving up things such as butter, sugar, that second beef burger.  But when it comes to trans fats, you can dramatically improve your diet without giving up the food item.

“With almost every product at the supermarket that has trans fat, there’s one that’s almost the same that doesn’t,” said Shirley Lippincott, dietitian with the El Paso County Health Department in Colorado. “If you have a product that looks just as good and has zero fat, why not buy it?”

There are Oreos with no trans fat, oven fries with zero grams, trans fat free fish sticks, corn dogs and dozens of other processed foods people eat every day.

Supermarket aisles have food items with trans fats hiding at almost every aisle, but a little label reading can help you eliminate them from your diet.

In 2006, federal regulations required manufacturers to list trans-fat content to their labels. The move was prompted by growing concerns about the health effects of these fats, which are derived by passing hydrogen gas through vegetable oil.

For years manufacturers used hydrogenated oils because adding hydrogen atoms to unsaturated vegetable fat molecules made them act like a saturated fat. It became solid at room temperature, gave baked goods a crispy finish and a longer shelf life. It was also cheaper than butter and thought to be healthier.

“There was a time when we recommended margarine instead of butter. We didn’t know the health effects of trans fats,” said Sheryl Stampher, dietician.

It turns out, trans fats act like saturated fats in your arteries, and worse. Studies have shown that trans fat raises the body’s LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and lower the body’s HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. According to the American Heart Association, a diet high in trans fats can increase risk of heart disease.

New York City became the nation’s first city last year to ban trans fats in restaurants. Other cities are considering a similar ban, and some restaurants chains have voluntarily eliminated them from their kitchens.

So what can consumers do?  Read the labels.  Look at nutritional labels and the list of ingredients.  If it says 'hydrogentated vegetable oil', put the product back on the shelf, but if it says 'palm oil', it is usually safe for consumption.  Palm oil is not only trans fat free and unsaturated, it is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins, making it an excellent alternative to the killer fat.  THE END.