What is trans fat? Trans fatty acids are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil.

This process turns liquids into solids. Your body does not process artificial fat, and the residue clogs your arteries.

Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, margarines, crackers, bakery foods, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

Margarine, which is only one molecule away from being plastic, was originally manufactured early in the 19th century to fatten turkeys. It killed the turkeys, but investors were still looking for a return, so they added yellow coloring and sold it as a healthy alternative to butter and animal fats.

Why Should You Care?

Since the introduction of trans fats, obesity and heart disease have been on the rise. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that trans fats could be a leading cause.

Ingestion of trans fats has also been positively correlated with coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's, liver dysfunction, diabetes, cancer, and infertility.

Despite the statistics, partially hydrogenated fats are widely used because they can be heated to a higher temperature, which means fried foods come out crispier. They're also generally less expensive and increase the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.

How To Avoid Them?

• Read the nutrition labels to see how much trans fat is in a product. Since January 2006, manufacturers have been required to list trans fat content on their labels. Look for the phrases "partially hydrogenated," "hydrogenated vegetable oil," or "shortening" on nutritional labels, since they are dead giveaways products contain some trans fat.
• Cut back on fried, processed, and commercial foods.
• When you are eating out, ask the server what oil is used to prepare your food. If possible, request a healthier oil. Another option is to skip the deep-fried foods.
• Remember that a small amount of trans fat occurs naturally in meat and diary products, so chose lean cuts of meat and low-fat milk.
• A heart-healthy diet means that 30% or less of your total daily calories come from fat, but saturated fat should account for less than 7% of your total daily calories. Monounsaturated fat is a healthier option
• Choose liquid vegetables oils and soft tubs of margarine that contains little or no trans fat
• Avoid eating commercially prepared baked foods, snack foods, and processed foods.
• When you can't avoid foods with trans fat, choose products that list partially hydrogenated oils near the bottom of the ingredient list.
• Also, if an item in the store says 0 grams of trans fat, it might not be 0. Look for the words hydrogenated oil or hydrogenation and that will mean there is trans fat because they don't have to label the amount of trans fat if it is less than 0.5 grams.

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