Trans fat is vegetable fat that has been chemically altered by a process called hydrogenation. This process turns healthy fat, such as corn oil or soy bean oil, into a solid, unhealthy fat. The result is a type of fat that is worse for you than saturated fat, and is linked to increased LDL (“bad cholesterol”), decreased HDL (“good cholesterol”), and increased triglyceride levels, which all contribute to heart disease and insulin resistance.
How Much is Too Much?
The American Heart Association recommends that less than 1 percent of your daily calories come from trans fat (that’s two grams of trans fat for a 2,000 calorie diet).
How Do You Avoid It?
Read nutrition labels and look at the saturated fat and trans fat. Remember that the information is given per serving, so check the serving size as well. Choose reduced-fat and fat-free products, but only if other unhealthy ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils have not been added. Always check ingredient listings for the term partially hydrogenated. The ingredient list is different than the nutrition label, and is often where fat information is hidden. Ingredient information is listed from greatest to smallest amounts, so if partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup are listed as the first few ingredients, choose another product. Read More
