What are trans fats?

Trans fats are unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acids. They are naturally found in dairy products, lamb, and beef. They can also be unnaturally manufactured by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. Trans fats are usually found in fried foods and baked goods.

What are trans fats for?

Trans fats are used to increase the shelf life of food as well as to enhance their flavor.

Why are they bad for you?

Trans fats increase bad cholesterol levels in your body and thus heighten the risk for coronary heart disease.  And if that wasn’t enough trans fats actually lower the good cholesterol in your system, thus making things worse.

What can you do to avoid them?

The short answer is to steer clear of foods that are generally known to contain trans fats. Such items include cakes, cookies, breads, margarine, fried foods, frozen meals, and the like. Of course, doing this may not be too easy.

That’s why if you can’t completely eliminate the above-foods from your diet, then at least strive to be more conscious with the items that you buy. Check the nutrition facts panel of products and avoid the ones that have trans fats in them.

Image credit:  chelsey.baldock on Flickr