trans fat

DBpedia resource is: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Trans_fat

Abstract is: Trans fat, also called trans-unsaturated fatty acids, or trans fatty acids, is a type of unsaturated fat that naturally occurs in small amounts in meat and milk fat. It became widely produced as an unintentional byproduct in the industrial processing of vegetable and fish oils in the early 20th century for use in margarine and later also in snack food, packaged baked goods, and for frying fast food. In nature, unsaturated fatty acids generally have cis configurations as opposed to trans configurations. While saturated fatty acids without any double bonds are created from unsaturated fats by the process of fat hydrogenation, partial hydrogenation converts some of the cis double bonds into trans double bonds by an isomerization reaction with the catalyst used for the hydrogenation, which yields a trans fat. In food production, liquid cis-unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils are hydrogenated to produce saturated fats, which have more desirable physical properties: e.g., they melt at a desirable temperature (30–40 °C; 86–104 °F); and extend the shelf-life of food. Although the incidental trans fats are edible, consuming trans fats has been shown to increase the risk of coronary artery disease in part by raising levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, often termed "bad cholesterol"), lowering levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, often termed "good cholesterol"), increasing triglycerides in the bloodstream and promoting systemic inflammation. Trans fats also occur naturally, e.g., the vaccenic acid in breast milk, and some isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). These trans fats also occur naturally in meat and dairy products from ruminants. Butter, for example, contains about 3% trans fat. Two Canadian studies have shown that vaccenic acid could be beneficial compared to hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or a mixture of pork lard and soy fat, by lowering total LDL and triglyceride levels. A study by the US Department of Agriculture showed that vaccenic acid raises both HDL and LDL cholesterol, whereas industrial trans fats only raise LDL with no beneficial effect on HDL. In light of recognized evidence and scientific agreement, nutritional authorities consider industrial trans fats harmful for health and recommend that their consumption be eliminated. The World Health Organization in 2018 introduced a 6-step guide to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply. Artificial trans fat has been banned in many nations, including the United States, but it is still widely consumed in developing nations, resulting in more than 500,000 excess deaths per year. In many countries, there are legal limits to adding artificial trans fat, or it is prohibited entirely. Trans fats levels can be reduced or eliminated by switching to natural highly saturated fats such as lard, palm oil, or fully hydrogenated fats, or by using interesterified fat. Other alternative formulations can also allow unsaturated fats to be used to replace saturated or partially hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated oil is not a synonym for trans fat: complete hydrogenation removes all unsaturated fats.

Wikimedia Commons category is Trans fatty acids

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