News tagged with trans fats
Debunking myths about warm-ups, eggs
There are so many things to worry about these days. Wouldn't it be nice to cross something off the list? Turns out you can. Researchers have been busy debunking some common medical myths that have been repeated so many times, ...
May 29, 2009 |
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Natural Oils Can Be Hydrogenated Without Making Unhealthy Trans Fats
(PhysOrg.com) -- To prolong the shelf life of foods, manufacturers often add hydrogen to natural oils, a process called hydrogenation. But hydrogenation also results in the production of trans fats, which have adverse health ...
Jan 23, 2009 |
3.4 / 5 (7) |
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Look out for hidden trans fat in trans fat-free food
Think twice before you bust open that bag of chips-you could be eating more trans fat than you think, thanks to a loophole in FDA food labeling laws.
Feb 15, 2011 |
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Omega-6 PUFAs and risk of cardiovascular disease
A new Science Advisory report from the American Heart Association recommends that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, are beneficial when part of a heart-healthy eating ...
Jan 30, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
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Banning trans fats would save lives, say doctors
Banning trans fats from all foods in the UK would prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths every year, and would be a simple way to protect the public and save lives, say two senior doctors in the British Medical Journal ...
Apr 15, 2010 |
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New CDC chief to target smoking; led charge in NYC
(AP) -- Dr. Thomas Frieden has swung a big stick as New York City's top health official, pushing through bans on smoking and artery-clogging trans fats.
Jun 06, 2009 |
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Nonagenarian researcher petitions FDA to ban trans fats
"I request to ban trans fats from the American diet." Thus begins a 3,000-word petition to the Food and Drug Administration, the work of a man on a dogged, decades-old crusade to eradicate trans fats from ...
Sep 03, 2009 |
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Omega-6 fatty acids: Make them a part of heart-healthy eating
Omega-6 fatty acids - found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds - are a beneficial part of a heart-healthy eating plan, according to a science advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. ...
Jan 26, 2009 |
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Eating fish, nuts and olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of age-related blindness
Regularly eating fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-three fatty acids and avoiding trans fats appears to be associated with a lower risk for the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according ...
May 11, 2009 |
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Experts call for accelerated national sodium reduction initiatives
Responding to the health threat posed by Americans' over-consumption of sodium, experts in the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) called today for ...
Apr 20, 2010 |
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News coverage of trans fat prompts shoppers to avoid certain products
News coverage about the harmful effects of trans fat, combined with labeling information, may influence consumers' short-term purchases of foods high in trans fat, but is not enough to prompt shoppers to avoid these potentially ...
Apr 20, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Report: Trans fat limits lead to healthier foods
(AP) -- Holy fish sticks! Scientists finally have some good news about fat in our foods.
May 26, 2010 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Making cookies that are good for your heart
Years of research has proven that saturated and trans fats clog arteries, make it tough for the heart to pump and are not valuable components of any diet. Unfortunately, they are contained in many foods. Now, ...
Sep 13, 2010 |
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Trans fat
Trans fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid(s). Trans fats may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated but never saturated.
Unsaturated fat is a fat molecule, containing one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms. Since the carbons are double-bonded to each other, there are fewer bonds available for hydrogen, so there are fewer hydrogen atoms, hence "unsaturated". Cis and trans are terms that refer to the arrangement of chains of carbon atoms across the double bond. In the cis arrangement, the chains are on the same side of the double bond, resulting in a kinked geometry. In the trans arrangement, the chains are on opposite sides of the double bond, and the chain is straight overall.
The process of hydrogenation is intended to add hydrogen atoms to cis-unsaturated fats, eliminating a double bond and making them more saturated. These saturated fats have a higher melting point, which makes them attractive for baking and extends their shelf-life. However, the process frequently has a side effect that turns some cis-isomers into trans-unsaturated fats instead of hydrogenating them completely.
There is another class of trans fats, vaccenic acid, which occurs naturally in trace amounts in meat and dairy products from ruminants.
Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are not essential, and they do not promote good health. The consumption of trans fats increases one's risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are more harmful than naturally occurring oils.
For more information about Trans fat, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
