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The Definition of Trans Fatty Acids

Aug 18, 2011 | By Nicaela Crawford

As of January 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration requires that trans fats be listed on food labels, along with saturated fat and cholesterol. Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fats, have been shown to have negative health effects when consumed excessively. Limit your daily intake of trans fats to 1 percent of your total calorie intake. For a standard 2,000 calorie diet, that's only 20 calories from trans fat, which amounts to about 2 g.

Structure

Although trans fats occur naturally in some foods, about 80 percent of the average American's intake comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is factory produced. Trans fat is produced when hydrogen gas reacts with oil and then pressurized. This process, known as hydrogenation, creates a type of fat that is much stiffer than other fats. As noted by the Franklin Institute, trans fats have a different shape and structure than other types of fat, which contributes to their negative health effects.

Food Sources

Animal foods like beef and dairy foods contain very small amounts of trans fats. However, the most common sources are fast foods, doughnuts, muffins, crackers, cake, cake icing, pie, microwave popcorn, canned biscuits and instant coffee beverages. Stick margarine and shortening also contain high amounts of trans fat. If the ingredient list includes anything labeled as partially hydrogenated oil, the product contains trans fat. As noted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, a restaurant claim like "We cook with vegetable oil" doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't use trans fats, since hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contains high amounts.

Benefits

With all the negative buzz about trans fats, you might wonder why their use became so widespread. According to the American Heart Association, trans fats were originally used because of their convenience. They are easy to produce and significantly increase the shelf life of food products. They became popular in fast food chains because they can be reused for frying. Trans fats are also inexpensive to produce and use and impart a desirable texture to many food products.

Negative Effects

Research that began in the 1990s has demonstrated the dangers of trans fats. Unlike saturated fats, which only increase total cholesterol levels, trans fats actually raise total cholesterol while also decreasing good cholesterol in the blood, resulting in what the Mayo Clinic calls a "cholesterol double whammy." High cholesterol causes clogged arteries, which may cause blood clots, heart attacks and stroke. Trans fats also increase triglyceride levels, which can cause hardening of the arteries, and may damage blood vessels and increase inflammation.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Aug 18, 2011

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