What is Trans Fat?

Trans fat has recently been discovered as another type of "bad fat." It occurs when a liquid fat is processed into a solid fat. This process is called hydrogenation, and the end product is called "partially hydrogenated oil." Food companies use this type of fat because it is cheap and it extends the shelf life of foods.

Why is Trans Fat Bad For You?

Eating too much trans fat can raise your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). This can increase your risk of heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol also increase your risk of heart disease.


Where Can I Find Trans Fat?

There is a small amount of naturally occurring trans fat in our diet, but most trans fat comes from processed and fried foods. Foods most likely to include trans fat are:

Margarines: Stick margarine Vegetable shortenings Snack foods: potato chips, crackers Baked goods: cookies, cakes, pies Fried foods: donuts, fried chicken, French fries

Naturally occurring trans fat might not be as harmful as the kind found in processed and fried foods. The Food and Drug Administration now requires food companies to list trans fat on the Nutrition Facts Label. If a label reads "trans fat free" or claims to have 0g of trans fat, it is important to note that this means there is less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving. While less than 0.5g is a small amount of trans fat, this can add up when you continue to eat the food over time.

Fast food restaurants also provide a high amount of trans fat in their menu items. Fast food items highest in trans fat include:

French fries Onion rings Chicken nuggets or chicken strips Fried chicken or crispy chicken Fruit pie Breakfast sandwiches on biscuits or croissants