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MANILA, Philippines – There is something in food that could make people more susceptible to the coronavirus, and they probably consumed it in excessive amounts during lockdown.
Consuming large amounts of trans fats causes non-communicable diseases, which can make people “more susceptible to coronavirus,” according to the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Noncommunicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, are common comorbidities. In the Philippines, at least 49% of deaths from COVID-19 had comorbidities.
The percentage was cited in bills 7200 and 7202 that seek to ban the manufacture and sale of foods high in trans fat.
Trans fatty acids (TFAs), or trans fats, are naturally found in small amounts in meat and dairy products. There are also industrially produced trans fats in many foods which, when consumed in large amounts, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is done by partial hydrogenation of vegetable and fish oils.
Hydrogenation is a chemical process that manipulates the oil molecules; the process results in hardened oil. Partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) extend the shelf life of foods and are a cheaper replacement for animal fats, according to the WHO.
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Fast food and food packages
The eating habits of Filipinos and even their response to calamities are a reflection of the lack of strict regulation of trans fat intake in the Philippines.
During the shutdown across Luzon, the government and other donors distributed food packages that included canned meat, crackers and 3-in-1 coffee.
The GrabFood website also shows that consumers in the Philippines “frequently searched” for fast food chains. The company reported that food delivery tripled in just the first two weeks of closure.
While not all processed foods contain trans fats and not all food deliveries come from fast food chains, “foods that are well known (for having trans fats) are cookies, donuts, cakes, potato chips, crackers , French fries and other fried fast foods, and frozen pizza, “said Dr. Alyssa Bautista, a professor of neurology at Columbia University in New York and an expert on stroke.
WHO recommends that trans fat intake be limited to less than 2.2 grams per day on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Packaged meat, cookies, cakes and cakes “could exceed 3-5 grams per serving,” said Dr. Ranulfo Javelosa, division chief of the Department of Preventive Cardiology at the Philippine Heart Center.
Even non-dairy creamer, a 3-in-1 coffee additive and used by some milk tea shops as a cheaper alternative to fresh milk, contains trans fat.
This was mentioned during the September launch of the WHO progress report on the adoption of the REPLACE Technical Action Package.
The package provides strategic approaches to eliminating industrially produced trans fats by 2023. Recommendations include enacting legislation that will eliminate industrially produced TFAs, review dietary sources of TFA, and replace PHOs with healthier oils.
Javelosa and Bautista warned that eating foods with TFA increases the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease because TFA increases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in the blood.
“LDL causes the accumulation of fatty deposits along the walls of the arteries, a process called atherosclerosis, which then reduces or blocks blood flow to the brain, or to the heart, to the tissue and causes a stroke,” he explained Baptist.
Nutritional labels
However, avoiding foods with trans fat may not always be so easy; there are foods that contain trans fat but are still labeled “zero trans fat.”
This is because local manufacturers have “traditionally applied” the US Food and Drug Administration’s policy on nutrition labeling that allows foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving to be labeled. as “0 grams of trans fat,” said attorney Mary Grace Anne Rosales of ImagineLaw, a nonprofit organization that works with the Department of Health and other partners on trans fat regulation.
The lack of measures that will require food manufacturers to accurately disclose ingredients and nutritional content is one of the things that HB 7200 and 7202 seek to address.
“HB 7200 and 7202 seek to ban claims of trans fat free content on product packaging and other marketing strategies … to avoid the so-called ‘halo effect’ or mislead consumers that food products claiming to be free of trans fats are healthy without taking into account that it can contain less than 0.5 grams per serving and can be high in other nutrients such as salt or sugar ”, added Rosales.
Javelosa said that the government must require that the packaging be clear on the content of a product. You must also report violations and regulate sales in grocery stores, fast food stores, schools, and offices.
In September, the South-East Asia Region has a “relatively slow but growing interest in the regulation of TFAs,” WHO said in its progress report on the REPLACE Technical Action Package.
Only Thailand has adopted the WHO best practice policy, making it the third country in the world to ban PHOs after Canada and the United States. India opted for less restrictive trans fat limits, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have pledged to eliminate TFA.
“The Western Pacific Region has seen relatively little action,” WHO said. Singapore is the only country in the region that limits TFAs. Brunei Darusasalam, China, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines have so far only proposed measures to regulate TFA.
Since Congress has yet to pass a measure to eliminate trans fats in the country, the best way for Filipinos to identify foods with trans fats is to check the nutrition label, specifically, the list of ingredients, ”said the Kathleen Cruzada nutrition professor at the University. by Santo Tomas
“You should look for ingredients that contain trans fats, such as margarine, non-dairy creamer, and [partially] Hydrogenated oils and fats, “he added.
Food aid
A national ban on trans fats can also be crucial to the health of the population in times of calamity. Shelf life and time limitation are considerations during calamities and that sometimes means donations of foods high in trans fat. But health experts interviewed for this report said it is still possible to distribute fresh, whole foods during tough times.
Cruzada noted that some local government units distributed vegetables during the shutdown.
“There were media reports of the oversupply of vegetables in markets and direct farmer suppliers, resulting in lower cost of vegetables. Those fresh vegetables, particularly tubers, tubers and other starchy vegetables, could have been distributed instead. Those types of vegetables have a longer shelf life, “he said.
“So there will be less problems when it comes to storage and spoilage if those are the government’s concerns.”
For Bautista, other options are canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. “Most canned fish like tuna and sardines do not contain trans fat and can be a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.”
Eating habits are also related to mental health. According to Dr. Rommel Sergio, psychologist and professor at the Abu Dhabi School of Management, “overeating and consuming unhealthy foods with harmful trans fats is one of the effects of the blockage resulting in poor mental health” because “eating it is a coping mechanism and fast food ordering to fill boredom, as the lock supports this mechanism. ”
For Cruzada, the eating habit of Filipinos is a reflection of the need to strengthen education in regards to nutrition. She recalled that because the COVID-19 vaccine does not yet exist, only a “strong immune system is the best defense against COVID-19” and this is achieved with a proper diet and active lifestyle.
“If people are aware of the consequences of a healthy lifestyle that includes diet and exercise, they will value their food choices,” he added.
This story was produced under the Probe Media Foundation Inc. and ImagineLaw’s ‘(Un) Covering Trans Fats Media Training and Fellowship Program’. The views and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of PMFI and IL.
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