Trans fatty acids are a type of fat manufacturers and restaurants use to cook, process, prepare and preserve foods. Trans fats may increase your risk of contracting various diseases, especially heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends you limit your intake of trans fat to less than 2 g per day. Consult your doctor about the risks of consuming trans fats.
Features
Food manufacturers produce trans fat, also called hydrogenated fats, by an industrial process that adds hydrogen and pressure to liquid vegetable oils to make the product a solid fat. Factory-produced hydrogenated vegetable oils contribute approximately 80 percent of trans fat in the average U.S. diet, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The remaining 20 percent of trans fats in the diet comes from meat and dairy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all food labels to list the amount of trans fats in the product. Some cities, including New York, have banned the use of trans fats in restaurants to protect the public from potential health risks.
Processed Foods
Trans fats appear in processed foods such as margarine, bread, crackers, cookies, cake, icing, pie, salad dressing, potato chips and microwave popcorn. Manufacturers use trans fats in processed foods to extend shelf life. Processed foods often contain high amounts of sodium, a risk factor for high blood pressure.
Fried Foods
Fast-food restaurants use trans fats to cook fried foods. Trans fats last longer and are less costly than healthy fats such as olive, corn or safflower oils. French fries, doughnuts, falafel and fish are a few of the many fried foods than often contain trans fats. Restaurants also use margarine that contains trans fats to cook eggs and other foods.
Health Risks
Research by scientists at Harvard School of Public Health published in the April 2007 issue of "Circulation" discovered that high trans fat consumption is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The research found that trans fat increases LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, and lowers HDL cholesterol. Children who consume trans fats are more likely to get heart disease earlier in life than children who do not consume trans fats. Trans fat clogs your arteries and is a higher dietary risk for coronary artery disease than cholesterol or saturated fat. The harder the trans fat, the more severe the risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. As of 2007, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Trans Fats 101
- MayoClinic.com: Why Do Processed Foods Contain So Much Sodium?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Leading Causes of Death
- "Circulation"; A Prospective Study of Trans Fatty Acids in Erythrocytes and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease; Q. Sun, et al.; April 2007
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