The Nurses' Health Study of some 85,000 women found that subjects who consumed large amounts of margarine and shortening used in cookies, bread, and other baked goods had a 70 percent higher risk of heart disease than women who used little or none.
Another study of the dietary habits of 239 heart attack patients and 282 healthy people looked at the amount of trans-fatty acids in their diets and found that the risk of heart attack was twice as high among those who consumed the most trans-fatty acids compared with those who consumed the least.

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Avoid trans fats, because they are even worse for you than saturated fat, not only raising LDH (bad) cholesterol but also lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fats raise inflammatory factors in the blood and are strongly linked with heart disease and the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Trans fat is a vegetable oil that has been turned into a solid fat (e.g., shortening or margarine) by heating it with hydrogen. This process is called hydrogenation. There is no safe amount of trans fat in the diet.

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Research has linked trans fat to increasing the risk of diabetes type 2 and raising triglyceride levels.

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Researchers recently reviewed the health of 622 colonoscopy patients and came up with plenty of fuel for the down-with-trans fats fire. People who ate the most trans fat -- an average of 6.5 grams per day -- were 86% more likely to have potentially precancerous colon polyps compared with those who consumed the least trans fat -- about 3.6 grams or less per day. It seems that trans fats can disturb the colon's normal, healthy balance of bile and fatty acids and damage the mucus that protects this organ.
For heart health, the American Heart Association recommends that no more than 1% of your daily calories come from trans fat. That means if you eat 2,000 calories a day, no more than 2 grams should come from trans fat. Since trans fat is found mostly in packaged sweets, frozen dishes and fried foods, steering clear of them will help. Your other option is to closely read the list of ingredients, keeping in mind that even products labeled trans fat-free can still have up to 0.5 grams of the stuff per serving.
So cut down on anything that lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils among the ingredients -- "hydrogenated" is a red flag for trans fat.
Bakery products and desserts that claim to have "0 grams of trans fats" often times give consumers the false sense that these sweets and treats have become a healthier food choice. Unfortunately, when you remove the trans fat from a donut sold in bakery, you end up with, well, a donut. The donut didn’t miraculously get converted into an apple or another naturally healthy produce item once the trans fat has been removed. It will still contain about 300 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 12 grams of sugar or the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of sugar.
Continue Learning about Trans Fats
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.