All there is to know about Trans Fats

You will have heard about Trans fats at one time or another, what exactly is it and why should one take precautions in consuming it.

Although in recent years, intake of Trans Fat has declined as awareness has increased and regulators have restricted their use, trans fats still pose a public health problem.

What are Trans fats

Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, are a form of unsaturated fat. They come in both natural and artificial forms.

Natural, or ruminant, trans fats occur in the meat and dairy from ruminant animals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. They form naturally when bacteria in these animals’ stomachs digest grass.

These types typically comprise 2–6% of the fat in dairy products and 3–9% of the fat in cuts of beef and lamb. However, dairy and meat eaters do not need be concerned, as several reviews have concluded that a moderate intake of these fats does not appear harmful.

The best-known ruminant trans fat is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is found in dairy fat. It is believed to be beneficial and is marketed as a dietary supplement.

However, artificial trans fats — otherwise known as industrial trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats — are hazardous to your health.

These fats occur when vegetable oils are chemically altered to stay solid at room temperature, which gives them a much longer shelf life.

Trans fats and your Heart

Artificial trans fats may increase your risk of heart disease.

In a series of clinical studies, people consuming trans fats instead of other fats or carbs experienced a significant increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol without a corresponding rise in HDL (good) cholesterol.

Similarly, replacing other dietary fats with trans fats significantly increases your ratio of total to HDL (good) cholesterol and negatively affects lipoproteins, both of which are important risk factors for heart disease.

Meanwhile, most other fats tend to increase both LDL and HDL

Indeed, many observational studies link trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease.

Sources of Trans fat in modern Diet

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the largest source of trans fats in your diet because they’re cheap to manufacture and have a long shelf life.

While they’re found in a variety of , processed foods, governments have recently moved to restrict trans fats.

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of partially hydrogenated oil in most processed foods.

However, this ban is to be fully implemented, as many processed foods  still harbor trans fat.

Several other countries have taken similar steps to reduce the trans fat content of processed goods.

How to avoid them

It can be tricky to completely avoid trans fats.

In the United States, manufacturers  can label their products “trans-fat-free” as long as there are fewer than 0.5 grams of these fats per serving.

Clearly, a few “trans-fat-free” cookies could quickly add up to harmful amounts.

To avoid trans fats, it’s important to read labels carefully. Don’t eat foods that have any partially hydrogenated items on the ingredients list.

At the same time, reading labels doesn’t always go far enough. Some processed foods, such as regular vegetable oils, harbor trans fats but fail to name them on the label or ingredients list.

One U.S. study of store-bought soybean and canola oils found that 0.56–4.2% of the fats were trans fats — without any indication on the packaging.

Thus, the best thing you can do is to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet