Trans fat is created by modern technology and is foreign to the human body. Basically, trans fat, also known as trans fatty acid, is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make the oils more solid in a chemical process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life of the vegetable oils containing these fats. Hydrogenated vegetable fats are used as they are claimed to give food desirable taste, shape and texture.

Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, potato chips, microwave popcorn and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in some animal-based foods.

Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fat increases the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.

Trans fats not only raise total cholesterol levels, they also deplete good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) which helps protect against heart disease. Due to hydrogenation, trans fats are stiffer and harder than other fats as they are made more solid. The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries. Trans fats can clog up the arteries that supply blood to the heart and brain, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

In 2003, Kraft was sued to eliminate trans fat in Oreos cookies. As a result, Kraft eliminated trans fats from Oreos and reduced or eliminated it in about 650 other products. Oreos cookies are as tasty as ever and are still loved by many consumers. This dispels the claim that trans fat make foods taste better.

Since 1990, the fast food industry has been cooking french fries in hydrogenated vegetable oils instead of tropical oils like coconut oil and palm oil. Before that, tropical oils have been used extensively by the food industry as they gave foods many desirable properties. The saturated fats in the tropical oils are highly stable and do not go rancid , as polyunsaturated vegetable oils do. When tropical oils were used, foods remained fresh longer and allowed people to absorb more nutrients from them.

Most vegetable oils contain trans fatty acids and the extensive use of vegetable oil in the Western world has led to the rampage of heart disease, making it the number one killer. Trans fatty acids are also linked to health effects like cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and other degenerative conditions.

Residents of Sri Lanka eat lots of coconut oil and have one of the lowest rate of heart disease in the world. Populations that are high consumers of coconut oil are among the healthiest people in the world. Avoiding the trans fat in vegetable oil and switching to coconut oil for cooking purposes can be the best decision you make to improve your health right away.

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