Fats in moderation add taste and enjoyment to foods. Americans eat foods that contain fat to satisfy their hunger and to enjoy food flavor. According to the 2005 U.S.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, some dietary fat is needed for good health. Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids and promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

But all fats are not created equal. Experts who specialize in cardiovascular health find monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids useful in lowering blood cholesterol when used in recommended amounts as a part of a low cholesterol and overall healthy diet.

Nutrition experts continue to recommend that consumers use margarine products instead of butter to improve the nutritional profile of their diets. This is essential in light of what leading health authorities recommend about reducing total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Because margarine products are very low in saturated fat and contain no dietary cholesterol, they are the tablespread of choice for a majority of Americans. Most of these products are reduced in total fat, too.

The plain truth is that Americans need to lower overall fat intake, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise to promote good health. Diet is only one of the many risk factors for a variety of diseases, including heart disease. Leading health professional groups continue to advise the public to continue to follow a diet that is low in saturated fat and contains less than 30 percent of calories from total fat.

To help clarify some common questions about fat in the diet, here are some questions and answers, many of which are taken from a November 1999 Q & A prepared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are marked with an asterisk (*). http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans.html

Q: What are fats and fatty acids? *

A: Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty acids. Energy is stored in the body mostly in the form of fat. Fat is also needed in the diet to supply essential fatty acids, substances essential for growth but not produced by the body itself. The terms fat and fatty acids are frequently used interchangeably.

Q: What are the main types of fatty acids? *

A: There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms. A saturated fatty acid has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom. It is therefore said to be "saturated" with hydrogen atoms, and all of the carbons are attached to each other with single bonds.

In some fatty acids, a pair of hydrogen atoms in the middle of a chain is missing, creating a gap that leaves two carbon atoms connected by a double bond rather than a single bond. Because the chain has fewer hydrogens, it is said to be "unsaturated." A fatty acid with one double bond is called "monounsaturated" because it has one gap. Fatty acids having more than one gap are called "polyunsaturated."

The fat in foods contains a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In foods of animal origin, a large proportion of fatty acids are saturated. In contrast, in foods of plant origin and some seafoods, a large proportion of the fatty acids are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

Q: How do saturated and unsaturated fat relate to heart disease? *

A: Higher intakes of saturated fat raise low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C or "bad" cholesterol) in the blood. An elevated LDL-C increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). Substituting intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat decreases LDL-C and the risk of CHD.

A specific type of fat that has been making headlines over the past several years has been trans fat. Again, the recent FDA Q & A helps to address commonly asked questions from consumers.

Q: What are trans fatty acids? *

A: Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, are made during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Usually the hydrogen atoms at a double bond are positioned on the same side of the carbon chain. However, partial hydrogenation reconfigures some double bonds and the hydrogens end up on different sides of the chain. This type of configuration is called "trans" (means "across" in Latin).

Q: Where is trans fat found? *

A: Trans fat is found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies and many other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated fats. The following information is from a 1995 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This information is the most recent data base available on the content of trans fatty acids in foods.

Q: Is it better to eat butter than margarine because of the trans fat? *

A: No. Although some margarines contain more trans fat than butter, the total of trans and saturated fat (the LDL-C raising fats) is always less than the total for butter. The total for butter is much higher because of all the saturated fat that it contains. The chart below shows you the comparisons of the content of these types of fats in butter and in some margarines. It is usually better to eat the softer or liquid margarines that contain lower amounts of saturated and trans fats. Also, nonstick cooking spray may be substituted for other fats when "greasing" the pan. The following information is from the most recently available 1995 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FDA data. Since that time, the margarine industry has reformulated many margarine products to reduce the total fat, saturated fat and trans fat content.

Q: How much trans fats do we eat a day? *

A: The daily intake of trans fat in the U.S. is about 5 grams per person. For comparison, the intake of saturated fat is about 25 grams per person.

Q: What is the bottom line on trans fat and margarine?

A. When it comes to overall nutrition, even the more traditional margarine products (those that have 60% or more oil) have a better nutritional profile than butter (even when trans fat is added to the amount of saturated fat). This can be illustrated if one were to add up the amount of trans fat and the amount of saturated fat in each of these products. Even if trans fats do act similarly to saturated fat, margarine wins nutritionally each and every time, and the reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free margarine products also provide consumers the opportunity to reduce saturated fat and trans fat even further.

Q. How can consumers be assured that it's OK to eat margarine?

A. Consumers should listen to the advice of leading health authorities such as the American Heart Association, the National Cholesterol Education Program, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Dietetic Association - all of these organizations stress the need to reduce total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet. For heart health, leading health groups recommend margarine over butter because margarine has no cholesterol (making it ideal for a low cholesterol diet) and much less saturated fat, and many margarine products have less total fat, trans fat and calories as well. These organizations also stress that consumers are still eating way too much saturated fat, and that should be the primary focus of any diet designed to reduce heart disease risk.

Q: What is NAMM's position on the possible labeling of trans fats?

A: The National Association of Margarine Manufacturers (NAMM) provided extensive comments to the FDA on its proposed ruling on trans fatty acid labeling (Food Labeling: Trrans Fatty Acids in Nutrition Labeling, Nutrient Content Claim, and Health Claims; Proposed Rule, 64 Fed Reg. 62746 Nov. 17, 1999). In these comments, NAMM stated that it was pleased that an eventual FDA ruling to label trans fat would provide consumers with the opportunity to see how low the levels of trans fats are in margarine. Some excerpts from NAMM's comments, not related to the specifics of the proposal follow:

• NAMM has a strong interest in providing consumers with meaningful information about the trans fat content of foods.
  
  
• The margarine industry has made, and continues to make, substantial progress in reducing the level of trans fatty acids in its products, just as it has done in reducing total and saturated fats.
  
  
• NAMM estimates that more than half of the margarines currently on the market have a trans fat level which is less than half that of the government-established standard of identity (80% oil) stick margarine. These newer products, including those in stick form with lower total fat and trans fat levels, are being well accepted by consumers.
  
  
• Innovations within the margarine category have been significant since the 1960s when the first vegetable oil spreads were offered as an alternative to butter and traditional margarines. That innovation has continued throughout the decades and is even more evident throughout the 1990s and into the 21^st century with the introduction of new formulations.
  
  
• Margarine manufacturers have made huge progress in lowering the level of trans fat in their products. This has been accomplished by a shift to lower fat products, other product reformulations, and through the use of new, proprietary technologies that have proven successful in some applications.
  
  
• NAMM is aware that some individuals have criticized the U.S. margarine industry for having any level of trans fat in its products. These individuals sometimes point to Europe, where they say margarine manufacturers have removed trans fat without an increase in saturated fat. That is simply not true. Typical European margarines have as much as 50 percent more saturated fat than typical U.S. products since they have reduced or eliminated trans fat by adding oils with higher saturated fat levels. American consumers have historically been more concerned about saturated fat levels than European consumers.
  
  
• FDA's trans fat labeling rule, when finalized, will have a significant material impact on margarine. Because margarine is a staple item in so many American homes, the margarine industry takes very seriously its responsibility to provide consumers with the healthiest products possible while satisfying the demand for good tasting, convenient and functional products.