Trans fat is double trouble for heart health

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Trans fat is double trouble for heart health​

Trans fat increases your "bad" cholesterol and lowers your "good" cholesterol. Find out more about trans fat and how to avoid it.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Trans fat is considered the worst type of fat to eat. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats — also called trans-fatty acids — raise "bad" cholesterol and also lowers "good" cholesterol.

A diet laden with trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of adults. The more trans fats eaten, the greater the risk of heart and blood vessel disease.

Trans fats are so unhealthy that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prohibited food manufacturers from adding the major source of artificial trans fats to foods and beverages. Several countries and several cities in the United States have limited or banned the use of trans fats.

The FDA expects that this move will prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths every year. But, as the regulation takes effect, some products with added trans fats might still be available.

Here's some information about trans fats and how to avoid it.

What are trans fats?​

Most trans fats are formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature.

This partially hydrogenated oil is inexpensive and less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their deep fryers, because it doesn't have to be changed as often as do other oils.

Some meat and dairy products have a small amount of naturally occurring trans fats. However, it's not clear how these trans fats affect health.

Trans fats in your food​

The manufactured form of trans fat, known as partially hydrogenated oil, can be found in a variety of food products, including:

• Commercial baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies
• Shortening
• Microwave popcorn
• Frozen pizza
• Refrigerated dough, such as biscuits and rolls
• Fried foods, including french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken
• Nondairy coffee creamer
• Stick margarine

How trans fats harm you​

Doctors worry about added trans fats because they increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Trans fats also have an unhealthy effect on cholesterol levels.

There are two main types of cholesterol:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. LDL, or "bad," cholesterol can build up in the walls of arteries, making them hard and narrow.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL, or "good," cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to the liver.

Trans fats increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Reading food labels​

In the United States if a food has less than 0.5 grams of trans fats in a serving, the food label can read 0 grams trans fats.

Products made before the FDA ban of artificial trans fats might still be for sale, so check to see if a food's ingredient list says partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. If it does, that means the food contains some trans fats, even if the amount is below 0.5 grams.

These hidden trans fats can add up quickly, especially by eating several servings of different foods containing less than 0.5 grams a serving.

How low should you go?​

Experts recommend keeping the intake of trans fats, particularly the manufactured variety found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, as low as possible.

What should you eat?​

Foods free of trans fats aren't automatically healthy. Food makers might substitute other unhealthy ingredients for trans fats. Some of these ingredients, such as tropical oils — coconut, palm kernel and palm oils — contain a lot of saturated fat.

Saturated fat raises your total cholesterol. In a healthy diet, about 20% to 35% of total daily calories can come from fat. Try to keep saturated fat at less than 10% of total daily calories.

Monounsaturated fat — found in olive, peanut and canola oils — is a healthier option than is saturated fat. Nuts, fish and other foods containing unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids are other good choices of foods with healthy fats.

 

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The Skinny on Trans Fats​

Here’s what you need to know about the ‘super villain’ of fats.

By Melody Foo, Dietitian, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital

Fat plays an important role as a source of energy, cushioning of vital organs, and as a transport system for fat soluble vitamins. However, fat should make up no more than 30-35% of our total energy intake.

According to the 2018 National Nutrition Survey (NNS), there has been a rise in Singaporeans’ fat intake from 28% in 2004 to 35% in 2018. This is a cause for concern, as fat is calorie dense, and any increase in fat intake may result in weight gain and obesity.

Types of Fat​

There are four types of fat in our diet: polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, saturated fat and trans fat. The table below explains the differences in the 4 types of fat.

Types of Fats	Health Implications	Remarks
Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA)	Omega 3 fat helps to: Decrease blood clotting Reduce blood vessel hardening Lower blood triglyceride level (triglyceride is a type of fat found in the blood) Omega 6 fat helps to: Lower total and LDL-cholesterol*	Both PUFA and MUFA are unsaturated fat. Despite the health benefits of unsaturated fat, they should be consumed in moderation to prevent unnecessary weight gain.
Monounsaturated fat (MUFA)	Helps to lower total and LDL-cholesterol*
Saturated fat	Increases total and LDL-cholesterol*	Saturated fat intake should contribute to less than 10% of your total energy intake.
Trans Fat	Increases LDL-cholesterol* Decreases HDL-cholesterol+	Trans fat intake should be less than 2g/day, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline.

*Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol is commonly known as the “bad cholesterol”. LDL-cholesterol gets deposited in the walls of blood vessels resulting in blockages, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.+High-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol is commonly known as the “good cholesterol”. HDL-cholesterol helps to mop up cholesterol from the bloodstream and transport it back to the liver, subsequently reducing the amount of cholesterol deposited in the walls of blood vessels.

Among the four types of fat, trans fat is perhaps the fat less talked about. A high consumption of trans fat is worrying. Not only does it increase your LDL-cholesterol, it also decreases your HDL-cholesterol. Given the dangers of trans fat, it is therefore important to look at how to limit your intake of trans fat.

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Trans Fat Explained​

Trans fat is formed when unsaturated fat undergoes hydrogenation. There are two sources of trans fat: naturally-occurring and artificial trans fat. Naturally-occurring trans fat can be found in some meat and dairy. However, only small amounts are present. The primary and more significant source of trans fat in our diet is artificial trans fat; found in foods such as hard margarine, solid shortening, commercial deep-fried foods as well as baked goods. Food companies like to use trans fat, as it is inexpensive, easy to use, stable at high heat and gives food a longer shelf life.

Healthier Alternatives​

Trans Fat Increases LDL Decreases HDL	Sources	Healthier Alternatives/Recommendations
Solid shortening, stick/hard margarine Foods containing (partially) hydrogenated vegetable oil and shortening: most puffs, pies, pastries, commercial deep-fried foods (e.g. nuggets, french fries)	Soft margarine Limit intake of foods containing vegetable shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to no more than two times a week Look at the ingredients list. Trans fat can be termed as (partially) hydrogenated vegetable oil or shortening Choose foods with the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) which states trans fat free. Foods with this HCS logo contain less than 0.5g trans fat per 100g