Do you know what is trans fat?
Trans fat are a type of unsaturated fat that occur in small amounts in nature but became widely produced industrially from vegetable. Although trans fats are edible, consumption of trans fats has been shown to increase the risk of coronary artery disease in part by raising levels of the lipoprotein LDL(often referred to as "bad cholesterol"), lowering levels of the lipoprotein HDL (often referred to as "good cholesterol"), increasing triglycerides in the bloodstream and promoting systemic inflammation.
Trans fats also occur naturally, e.g., vaccenic acid and some isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). These trans fats occur naturally in meat and dairy products from ruminants. Butter, for example, contains about 3% trans fat. Two Canadian studies have shown that vaccenic acid could actually be beneficial compared to hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or a mixture of pork lard and soy fat, by lowering total LDL and triglyceride levels. A study by the US Department of Agriculture showed that vaccenic acid raises both HDL and LDL cholesterol, whereas industrial trans fats only raise LDL without any beneficial effect on HDL.
In light of recognized evidence and scientific agreement, nutritional authorities consider all trans fats equally harmful for health and recommend that consumption of trans fats be reduced to trace amounts.
Health risks
- Gain weight and increase excess fat.
- Liver dysfunction
- High risks to be diabetes, high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and dyslipidemia.
(source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat#Health_risks)
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