Are Trans Fats really as bad as the hype?

Question

Are trans fats really as bad as they are being made out to be? Are the studies that have been done on them fair and scientifically sound? Or - is this another example of something that can cause problems in high amounts, but in moderation is safe? I would appreciate some references to studies, I haven't found much information on how the study was set up and what data led to the conclusions - I've heard some conflicting data.

Answer 1

Trans fat (also called trans fatty acids) is formed when liquid vegetable oils go through a chemical process called hydrogenation, in which hydrogen is added to make the oils more solid. Hydrogenated vegetable fats are used by food processors because they allow longer shelf-life and give food desirable taste, shape and texture.

The majority of trans fat can be found in shortenings, stick (or hard) margarine, cookies, crackers, snack foods, fried foods (including fried fast food), doughnuts, pastries, baked goods, and other processed foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Some trans fat is found naturally in small amounts in various meat and dairy products.

The real evil in trans fat is that consumption of trans fat raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and lowers HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, causing the arteries to become clogged and increasing the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

You can read all you want to about trans fats, and other types of fat, at the link below:

Answer 2

Some things like say, smoking, live up the hype. Trans fat is one of those. There is a reason trans fats are starting to be banned from foods.

Answer 3

studying a problem of what 10 yrs old??

Trans Fats - I *think* that its a 'not good for you' idea. What it really does, no one knows all about as yet, nor is likely to.

Answer 4

well, considering they cause hypertension, contribute to adult onset diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. no.