Watch Out for Trans Fats
hear that eating too much saturated fat, such as that found
in butter, can contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.
But you need to avoid trans fats too. A recent study showed
that trans fats, which are found in many fried and processed
foods (fast food is often high in trans fats), may be even
worse for the heart than saturated fat.
in the study spent four weeks eating a diet comprising 9.2
percent of calories from trans fats, then spend four weeks
eating 9.2 percent saturated fats. Results showed that after
four weeks of the high trans fat diet compared with the saturated
fat diet, the heart's blood vessel function was reduced, as
was the amount of HDL, or good cholesterol.
good bet that the French fries, fried chicken, fried fish
and hamburgers served in many fast food restaurants are high
in trans fats.
Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2001; 21, 1233.