Low cholesterol foods are still in abundance. The recent ban in New York City restaurants has awakened many people to the dangers of trans fats. Unfortunately, it has also caused a great deal of confusion.

According to the National Peanut Board, trans fat levels in both commercially prepared and natural peanut butters are undetectable. Put another way, research indicates that you can eat 156 peanut butter sandwiches without consuming even 0.5 grams of trans fat.

Neither peanut butter, peanuts or peanut oil are an issue for restaurants in New York. Chuck Hunt, vice president of the New York City Chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association has said that peanut butter alternatives are good alternatives.

Confusion exists over peanut butter because conventional science says that products made with a partially hydrogenated oil stabilizer, will contain trace amounts of trans fat. A recent study has shown that peanut butter is one of the low cholesterol foods that are made with very little hydrogenated oil. Resulting in no detectable amounts of trans fat in the finished product.

These same studies indicate that all hydrogenated oil is not the same. You cannot generalize about all products that contain hydrogenated oil. Peanut butter provides a variety of healthful benefits for children and adults. It is one of the few foods that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Peanut butter also adds nutritional value when included as part of a balanced diet.

Peanuts and peanut butter contain more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients, including vitamin E. A two tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains 12.2 grams of unsaturated and poly unsaturated fat and 3.3 grams of saturated fat. Moreover, low cholesterol foods like peanut butter, can brag that it contains zero cholesterol. Besides all of that information, it is fun to eat and tastes delicious as well.

We all realize that trans fats are very dangerous. According to the American Heart Association, trans fats cause a lowering of good cholesterol and an increase in bad cholesterol.

This action on your system increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. In 2006 the FDA began requiring food companies to list trans fat content separately on the Nutrition facts panel of all packaged foods.

Certain food activists are challenging the FDA policy that says that if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, it can be expressed as zero on the package. Their argument centers around the fact that a person who consumes multiple servings throughout the day of products labeled as having 0 trans fats could in fact, surpass recommended levels.

Trans fat zero foods tend to add up. Experts say manufacturers should have to list even traces of the substance. For peanut butter though, manufacturers are trying to increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition, and culinary versatility of peanuts.