Trans fats kill – Canada finally bans it
According to a study, thousands of Canadian heart attacks could have been prevented if Canada had banned trans fats 10 years ago when New York City did in 2007.
Eleven other counties in the state followed, creating the conditions for a natural experiment. Would the rate of heart attacks go down in the counties that banned trans fats compared with the ones that didn’t?
Yes, researchers concluded this week. There were 6.5% fewer heart attacks and strokes in the trans fat-free counties.
All of that raises an interesting question for Canada. What if Ottawa had banned trans fats in 2004 when all parties supported an NDP proposal to do just that?
‘We could have saved potentially thousands of heart attacks and strokes in Canada,’ said Dr. Beth Abramson, Heart and Stroke cardiologist.
Last Friday, Health Canada quietly announced that trans fats will be banned from processed food here, 13 years after Parliament first agreed it should happen.
The U.S. has a similar ban coming into effect at the same time.
Avoid trans fats – see food labels!
