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We visited the Trans Fatty Acids (Trans Fats) category in the Yahoo! Directory and reviewed the list of web sites and their descriptions. When searching for health and nutrition information on the Internet, we always check to see who's providing the content, an important step in evaluating information quality and reliability. We tend to turn first to information from sources we already know and trust, such as Consumer Reports and the American Heart Association, so we looked to them to explain trans fats. Trans fats occur in manufactured foods during the process of partial hydrogenation,
when hydrogen gas is bubbled through vegetable oil to increase shelf life and stabilize the original polyunsatured oil. The resulting fat is similar to saturated fat, which raises "bad" LDL cholesterol and can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease. Until very recently, food labels were not required to list trans fats, and this health risk remained hidden to consumers. In early July, FDA regulations changed, and food labels will soon begin identifying trans fat content in processed foods. The Trans Fatty Acids page from the American Heart Association (AHA) defines types of fats and oils and
examines how they affect blood cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease. The differences between fatty acids are in the chemistry. Depending upon the way the carbon and hydrogen atoms are arranged, a fatty acid can be a cis fatty acid or a trans fatty acid. The AHA recommends that adults use unhydrogenated oils (like olive oil and canola) as much as possible, and choose processed foods that are made with unhydrogenated oils. Soft margarines (liquid or tub) are a better choice than stick margarine. Alas, your favorite junk food snack is probably undesirably high in trans fatty acids (french fries, donuts) or plain old saturated fat (buttered popcorn, ice cream). You'll have to decide for
yourself if you are really ready to give up Oreos. But if you eat fast food often, here are some tips to help you minimize the trans-gression.
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