You’ve probably been hearing quite a bit about trans fats in the news of late. Find out what they are and why you should avoid them.
You probably thought you finally had this fat thing all worked out. You’ve been avoiding “bad” saturated fat because it stimulates the body to make too much LDL cholesterol, which can clog arteries. Instead, you’ve been choosing the “good guys” – unsaturated fats – as they can help reduce blood cholesterol. But there’s another fat that’s even worse than saturated fat – elaidic acid, commonly referred to as “trans” fat.
To confuse matters, trans fat is formed when liquid vegetable oils – normally “good” fats – are converted to a more stable and solid form by a process called partial hydrogenation. Like saturated fat, this trans fat can raise levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood. But trans fat is even worse, as it also reduces levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, which is believed to help prevent heart disease. Studies show that the more we consume of this type of trans fat, the greater our risk of cardiovascular disease. There’s also some evidence it may increase the risk of type-2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
