Trans Fats

I am studying up on heart health....a bit late. I am going through a book called "Eat Your Way to a Healthy Heart" by Liz Applegate, Ph.D. The posts I make on heart health will be more of taking notes and something I can reference easily by 'category' and 'title'. Maybe it will be a help to you as well.

The first little tidbit of info was on Trans Fats.

Here is what she says:

"these fats are formed when vegetable oils, like corn and soybean are chemically transformed by a process called hydrogenation. The result: a liquid polyunsaturated fat is converted to a solid saturated fat used for making margarines and in processed foods. From a chemists point of view, they behave like saturated fats, but from your body's point of view, they behave like saturated fats. Trans fats, which typically don't occur naturally in foods, goof up the flow of traffic in your arteries. Some scientists feel trans fats are more deadly to artery walls than saturated fats. Sources: Anything made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contains trans fats, including margarine and spreads, chips, crackers, cookies and other processed foods."

In a nutshell: Trans fats are not our friends. Look for foods that have zero trans fats.