Trans Fats
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What are Trans-Fats?
Trans-fatty acids are fabricated when oils are partially hydrogenated to make them more solid. Manufacturers put them there to give the product a longer shelf life.
Why are the bad for me?
- Trans fats are artery-clogging saturated fats when they are in your body.
- Trans-fats raise your “bad” LDL-cholesterol, and decrease the good HDL-cholesterol.
- Trans-fats raise the risk of heart disease as much or more than saturated fats.
Where are trans fats found?
- Trans-fats are found in many processed foods, such as boxed cakes, candy bars, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, fried foods, microwaveable popcorn, and pastries.
- See our list of some high trans-fat foods on the opposite side of this page. Limit your intake to as close to zero as possible!
How can I limit trans fats in my diet?
- You can limit trans-fats in your diet by ingredient lists, and avoiding too many processed foods.
- Although labels will not tell you how many grams of trans-fatty acids are in a food, the ingredient list will indicate whether they are present.
- Look for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.
- The lower down the ingredient list these words appear, the fewer trans-fatty acids there are in the food.