Are mono- and diglycerides bad for you?

How are mono- and diglycerides related to trans fats?

The reason some people are concerned about their mono- and diglyceride intake is their connection to trans fats. Trans fats have been linked to an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. They promote inflammation and obesity, increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, manufacturers can make mono- and diglyceride emulsifiers from hydrogenated fats and oils, which contain significant amounts of trans fats, some of which may end up in the final food product.

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring trans fats to be listed on nutrition labels, anything less than half a gram (g) could be listed as “0 g” trans fat. This means that a food containing mono- and diglycerides may contain some amount of trans fat, but this will not be listed on the label.

The World Health Organization recommends consuming no more than 2.2 g of trans fat per day. In fact, the FDA has banned most uses of partially hydrogenated oils – a primary source of trans fats – in food manufacturing. But as the Environmental Working Group points out, if you eat several different processed foods per day, the small amounts of trans fats in mono- and diglycerides can combine to put you over the limit, and you have no way of knowing.