Trans-fatty Acids (2814)

Trans-fatty acids are formed when vegetable oils are processed to make them more solid.  There are also small amounts of trans-fatty acids in meat and dairy products.  Partial hydrogenation is a food processing technique that converts unsaturated liquid oils to more stable semi-solid forms such as margarine and vegetable shortening. The use of hydrogenated vegetable oils in processed foods like cookies and snack foods has increased our overall intake of trans-fatty acids.  However, Americans still get only about 5-8% of their calories from trans-fatty acids compared to 12% from saturated fats and about 34% from all fats.

Trans-fatty acids have been compared to saturated fatty acids in terms of how they affect blood cholesterol.  Studies vary, however. Some research suggests that trans fatty acids raise LDL (or bad) cholesterol to a similar extent as saturated fat, while others indicate a much lower effect on total blood cholesterol.  Until further research results are available, the most prudent advice is to reduce the amounts of both saturated and trans-fatty acids in the diet.  This can be achieved by giving preference to unhydrogenated liquid vegetable oils when they can be substituted for animal fats, or products containing partially hydrogenated vegetable fats.  Remember that the Dietary Guidelines recommend that we reduce our overall fat intake so that we get no more than 30% of calories from total fat and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat.  When you decrease your total fat intake, your intake of both saturated and trans-fatty acids are likely to decrease as well.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

Feel free to forward, post or reprint any of the "Solutions" in their entirely, but please credit http://www.solutions.psu.edu/ as the original source of information, and please do not change the content.