How Are Mono- and Diglycerides Connected to Trans Fat?
The reason some people are concerned about their intake of mono- and diglycerides is because of their connection to trans fats. Trans fats have been associated with an increased risk of numerous diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. They promote inflammation and obesity, raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, manufacturers can make mono- and diglyceride emulsifiers using hydrogenated fats and oils, which contain significant amounts of trans fats — some of which can end up in the final food product.
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started requiring trans fats to be listed on nutrition labels, anything less than half a gram (g) was allowed to be listed as “0 g” of trans fat. That means a food containing mono- and diglycerides may have some amount of trans fat, but it won’t be on the label.
The World Health Organization recommends you have no more than 2.2 g of trans fat a day. In fact, the FDA has banned most uses of partially hydrogenated oils — a main source of trans fat — in food manufacturing. But as the Environmental Working Group points out, if you have several different processed foods in a day, the small amounts of trans fat in mono- and diglycerides can combine to put you over the limit, and you have no way of knowing.
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