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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Health Report. |
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Food safety agencies in the United States |
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have launched an effort |
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to end the use of partially hydrogenated oils, |
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these oils are the main cause of "trans fats" |
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in some processed foods. |
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Health officials say the use of trans fats |
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in food products is possibly harmful |
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and can lead to deadly health conditions. |
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It is an example of what tastes good |
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may not be good for you. |
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Many of the foods that can contain trans fats |
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are American favorites, |
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they are thought of as comfort food, |
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a lot of people eat a great deal of these foods. |
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Lisa Martin is a heart specialist |
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at George Washington University in Washington D.C. |
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"Cookies, cakes, pies and pastries, |
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a lot of those prepared foods have the trans fat |
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to increase the shelf life," said Martin. |
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Dr. Martin says published reports have shown |
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that trans fats block the flow of blood in the arteries |
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and lead to serious health problems. |
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"There are some of the articles that have shown |
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that small amounts of trans fats |
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reach 2 percent increases of trans fat in the diet. |
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You can increase your chance of having a heart disease |
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by as much as 30 percent in some of those articles. |
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So, it is a significant risk factor |
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for developing heart disease," she said. |
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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says |
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some manufacturers and other businesses |
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have already cut trans fat levels in their products. |
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But the FDA says a further reduction |
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could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks |
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and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year. |
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FDA food safety director Dennis Keefe says |
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studies on the possible healthy benefits show |
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why trans fats should not be used in food. |
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"Information provided by recognized scientific bodies |
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such as the Institute of Medicine indicated that |
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and recommended that consumption of trans fats |
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should be reduced to as close to zero as possible," said Keefe. |
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Man-made trans fats have been used in restaurants |
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and in processed foods to improve the texture, |
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taste and the storage time of foods. |
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But Mr. Keefe says a growing number of food producers |
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are finding other substances to use instead of trans fats. |
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"There are products that indeed can be formulated |
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without the use of partially hydrogenated oils," he said. |
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Americans will have 60 days to comment on an FDA proposal |
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for ending the use of partly hydrogenated oils |
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before the rule is final. |
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And that is the Health Report from VOA Learning English. |
