Dr Oz: Food Frauds: DHA Omega 3 Fats vs ALA Omega 3 Fats

Doctor Oz did a segment on Food Frauds that can ruin your diets.  We all know that food packaging and food labels can be deceptive and hard to decipher, so do you really know what is healthy and what to avoid?  Here are Dr Oz’s four food frauds to avoid. 

Food Fraud #1: Multigrain Bread

Dr Oz said that bread labeled as all natural multigrain bread really means nothing and can still be made with refined flour.  You want the bread to say 100% whole grain bread.  So avoid packages that say “multigrain” or “7 grain” rather than 100% whole grain, that way you will still get all of the nutrients and fiber found in whole grains.

Food Fraud #2: ALA Omega 3 Fats vs DHA Omega 3 Fats

Dr Oz said that yogurt or any product marked with “Added Omega 3’s” on the label are misleading.  There are different types of Omega 3 Fats.  ALA Omega 3 Fats are not what your body really needs, you want DHA Omega 3 Fats or EPA Omega 3 Fats.  Great natural sources of these healthy Omega 3’s are halibut, sardines and salmon.

Food Fraud #3: Canned Vegetables

Dr Oz said that canned vegetables, like canned green beans, have a lot of added salt to preserve the vegetables, which can increase your blood pressure.  Instead, try frozen vegetables with no added sodium.  Another great thing about frozen vegetables is that you don’t lose the nutrients of the veggies and it is usually frozen when they are at their peak.

Food Fraud #4: Trans Fat Free

Dr Oz said that labels that say “Trans Fat Free,” like a box of cookies, can still contain trans fats because you can write “Trans Fat Free” on the label as long as it does not have 1/2 gram of trans fats or more per serving.  However, this is very deceptive, because the serving size could be much smaller than what people normally eat, and so a normal portion may still contain a hefty portion of trans fats.  Read the ingredient label and look for the word Hydrogenated Oil or Partially Hydrogenated Oil, because those are trans fats.