Transfats and Halacha

Trans fats, Halacha and the Jewish Response

By Yair Hoffman

The latest data on trans fats is pretty shocking. Apparently a study was performed on the eating habits of a large group of nurses and the results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association. In fact, the president of the AHA, who is a professor at the Mayo Clinic supports a nationwide ban.

What are trans fats? Trans fat is generally an artificially made fat where manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil--a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation both increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods that contain these fats. It tastes very very good.

Trans fats are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in some animal-based foods. Trans fats were completely banned in Denmark, with the results of remarkable health benefits throughout the country.

So what are the results of the study? Those nurses that ate the most trans fats were three times more likely to develop heart disease than those nurses that ate the least amount. The study was one of the first to actually use real fat level in blood data rather than questionnaires.

The question is, when a pressing health issue is uncovered, what is our track record? When the dangers of smoking and second hand smoke became apparent, did the Torah community respond quickly? Unfortunately, not. A story is told about a Lakewood Kollel yungerman who was told in no uncertain terms by his doctor, after seeing an X-ray of his lungs - that he must stop smoking. The Kollel man responded, “But doctor, I don’t smoke!” It was only then that the dangers of second-hand smoke prompted pretty much every Yeshiva to ban smoking in the Bais HaMidrash.

Another question is how healthy are our Yeshiva lunches? After years of research on healthy eating do our Yeshivos still serve hot dogs, pasta and cheese, pizza, French fries and hamburgers? Do we still allow all sorts of nosh for snack and do we still have soda machines? The answer, unfortunately, is yes. [Although to our credit, some local Yeshivos have actually banned these items – successfully.]

The truth of the matter is that, notwithstanding numerous Torah sources to the contrary, the Torah community is unfortunately kind of slow in responding to health-related issues.

A mere cursory examination of the way halacha views health, would lead us to the clear conclusion that trans fats should be prohibited. There is an entire chapter of Shulchan Aruch (YD 115) dedicated to dangerous eating habits- ranging from coin sucking drinking uncovered drinks. There are another few subparagraphs about it in the Choshain Mishpat section of Shulchan Aruch (127).

Of course the best preventative medicine is adherence to Torah and Mitzvos, as we in many verses throughout the Torah: (Shmos 15:26): He (Moshe) said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of Hashem and do what is right in His eyes..I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am Hashem who heals you."

(Shmos 23:25) “You shall serve Hashem and He will bless your bread and your water, and take sickness away from your midst.”

The Torah verse (Dvarim 22:8) that tells us to place on our rooftops a protective fence (a parapet) is actually used by the Gemorah as a general source to obligate us in preventing dangers and dangerous situations. The Talmud Ksuvos 41b uses this verse to tell us that it is forbidden to keep a dangerous dog and a ruined ladder in the house. The Torah Temimah on the verse writes that although preventing dangers is clearly a fulfillment of the verse, a blessing is only recited on actually putting up the parapet fence (Maakeh).

The Rambam in Hilchos Deos 3:2 writes: ”One should take care to eat and drink only in

order to be healthy in body and limb. One should not eat all that one desires like a dog

or donkey. Rather, one must eat items that are beneficial for the body, whether they be bitter or sweet. Conversely, one should avoid eating what is harmful to the body, even though it may be sweet to the palate.”

The Torah tells us “Vayehi adam lenefesh Chaya (Bereishis 2:7)” – The Talmud (Taanis 22b) quotes Rav Yehuda saying in the name of Rav: The Torah says in this verse, The soul that I gave you, - chaya – make sure that it lives.” This would seem to be a general admonition to eat healthy.

The Rambam Hilchos Rotzayach and Shmiras HaNefesh (11:5) says that a violation of these things warrants makas mardus – a Bais Din sanctioned whipping.

The question arises, however, as to whether these Gemorahs are really a biblical prohibition or are they just a Rabbinic obligation couched in terms of a Biblical prohibition. This is known as an Asmachta. At times, the Rabbis will exaggerate a Rabbinic prohibition to show us how serious we should take the item (for example, Tosfos says that the issue of Bracha Levatalah is actually a Rabbinic prohibition and not a biblical one).

The Beer HaGoleh in the very last siman of Choshain Mishpat (127:70) is unsure whether the prohibition of danger-laden food items is Rabbinic or Biblical.

Another interesting question that needs to be explored is why is it that we have not been careful about these halachos? There are possibly a number of reasons.

The first is Taavah –desire. Trans fats and other food-like vices taste good. This affects the way we conduct ourselves. If the Midrash tells us that Yitzchok Avinu was affected by the food items that Aisav gave to him – and was thus unable to fully perceive Aisav’s wickedness – then we can well understand this phenomenon.

Another cause is what can only be described as social resistance to change. Even though we know that halacha dictates X, we still do Y because that is what everyone else is doing. For example, in the forties and fifties, many normative orthodox Jewish households did not observe the laws of “saar b’isha ervah”- and this may be another manifestation of this concept.

So practically what do we do?

The U.S. FDA has some practical tips that can be used to keep our consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol low while still consuming a nutritionally adequate diet. Below is an adaptation of these recommendations

• Check the Nutrition Facts panel to compare foods because the serving sizes are generally consistent in similar types of foods. Choose foods lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. For saturated fat and cholesterol, keep in mind that 5 percent of the Daily Value (%DV) or less is low and 20 percent or more is high. (There is as of yet no %DV for trans fat.)
• Choose alternative fats. Replace saturated and trans fats in your diet with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats do not raise LDL cholesterol levels and have health benefits when eaten in moderation. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. Frum companies such as Nutola do produce Canola oil. They are available in our local supermarkets. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and foods like nuts.
• Choose vegetable oils (except coconut and palm kernel oils) and soft margarines (liquid, tub, or spray) more often because the combined amount of saturated fat and trans fat is lower than the amount in solid shortenings, hard margarines, and animal fats, including butter.
• Consider fish. Most fish are lower in saturated fat than meat. Some fish, such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are being studied to determine if they offer protection against heart disease.
• Choose lean meats, such as poultry without the skin and not fried and lean beef not fried, with visible fat trimmed.
• Ask before you order when eating out. A good tip to remember is to ask which fats are being used in the preparation of your food when eating or ordering out.
• Limit foods high in cholesterol such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products, like whole milk.
• Choose foods low in saturated fat such as fat free or 1% dairy products, lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetables.