Coronary heart disease refers to a group of diseases that affect your heart and blood vessels. The term most commonly refers to coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries leading to your heart become blocked, restricting blood flow and oxygen. Trans fat, a type of saturated fatty acid, is one of the many causes of increased heart disease risk, but it is one that you can easily control.
Causes of Heart Disease
Most instances of heart disease are caused by atherosclerosis, which involves the buildup of cholesterol, fatty acids and other waste products into plaques inside blood vessel walls. These plaques can block the flow of blood into your heart, leading to angina and heart attack. Factors that increase atherosclerosis and your risk for heart disease include family history, smoking, diabetes, excess body fat around the waist, high saturated fatty acid levels, lack of physical activity and high blood pressure, according to MedlinePlus.
Trans Fat
Through a process called hydrogenation, normally healthy unsaturated vegetable oils transform into solid and semi-solid saturated trans fat. Trans fatty acids are commonly found in margarine, processed foods, baked goods and fried foods. Some dairy and meat products contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans fat; however, there is insufficient research to determine if this type of trans fat has the same harmful effects as the type that is commercially manufactured.
Trans Fat, Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Both trans fat and typical saturated fat adversely affect your cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of LDL, or bad, cholesterol circulating in your blood. However, unlike regular saturated fat, trans fat also decreases the amount of good HDL cholesterol in the blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increased LDL cholesterol is a significant contributing factor to atherosclerosis. The American Heart Association asserts that eating trans fat on a regular basis directly increases your risk for developing heart disease.
Reducing Your Heart Disease Risk
Reducing your risk for heart disease involves a multifaceted approach that includes modifying your diet, increasing your physical activity, controlling your blood pressure and ending tobacco use. In regard to trans fat in particular, the American Heart Association suggests limiting your intake to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories. Always check food nutrition labels to determine the amount of trans fat per serving, and avoid foods that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils among the first few ingredients.
