Trans fats may increase your risk for health problems, including high cholesterol, clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease. It is worse than saturated fat since it also lowers your levels of HDL, or good cholesterol. Although they occur naturally in small amounts, the majority of the trans fats in the diets of Americans comes from partially hydrogenated oils.
Benefits for Manufacturers
Manufacturers like to use trans fats in their products because they are an inexpensive way to prolong shelf life and keep foods fresher for longer without the food getting too greasy. Crispy foods stay crispy for longer, and trans fats do not turn rancid as quickly as liquid oils.
Foods Containing Trans Fat
Any food containing the words "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients list has trans fats, regardless of whether the label says a product is trans fat free. Manufacturers can claim their products contain no trans fats as long as each serving contains less than .5 g of trans fats. Foods likely to contain trans fats include fried foods, commercial baked goods and some shortenings or margarines. Fried foods in many restaurants also contain trans fats, unless these restaurants are in places which have banned the use of trans fats.
Alternatives
Manufacturers and restaurants can use shortenings and margarines that do not contain trans fat when a solid fat is needed, and oils such as canola, corn, safflower, sunflower and soy when a liquid fat is needed. Even though these oils may cost more, restaurants can use them longer before replacing them, so the overall cost of products shouldn't increase, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Avoiding Trans Fat
Your calories from trans fats should be less than 1 percent of your total calories, according to the American Heart Association. Consuming more fruits and vegetables and replacing foods that contain trans fats with those that contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat can help you to meet this goal. Ask restaurants whether they use trans-fat-free oil, and avoid products that contain hydrogenated oils.
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