Trans fat is found naturally in
some animal foods. Trans fats can also be made by food manufacturers. These are
byproducts of hydrogenation. This is a chemical process used to change liquid
unsaturated fat to a more solid fat. Trans fats will be found in an ingredients list
as a partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fatty acids are similar in structure
to saturated fat. They may have a great impact on raising total cholesterol and LDL
cholesterol levels. You should avoid trans fats as much as possible.
The FDA has banned manufacturers from adding artificial trans
fats, or partially hydrogenated oils, to food.
Examples of foods that had trans
fats include stick margarine and fats found in commercially prepared cakes, cookies,
and snack foods. Many manufacturers have changed their formulas to no longer contain
trans fat. Read the label to make sure the food has no partially hydrogenated oils
in
the ingredients list.