Articles
Dietary fat: Know which to choose
Harmful dietary fat
Healthier dietary fat
What changes should I make to my diet?
What about very low-fat diets?
Unhealthy fats
Healthier fats
Recommendations for fat intake
The facts about fat
Saturated fat
Unsaturated fat
Don't go to extremes
Content
Types of fat
Saturated fats in food
Monounsaturated fats in food
Polyunsaturated fats in food
Trans fats in food
How can I start eating healthier?
Healthier dietary fat
What changes should I make to my diet?
What about very low-fat diets?
Unhealthy fats
Healthier fats
Recommendations for fat intake
The facts about fat
Saturated fat
Unsaturated fat
Don't go to extremes
Content
Types of fat
Saturated fats in food
Monounsaturated fats in food
Polyunsaturated fats in food
Trans fats in food
How can I start eating healthier?
Trans fats in food
Trans fats are a type of fat that raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. There are very small amounts of naturally occurring trans fat in meats and dairy from grazing animals, such as cows, sheep and goats.
But most trans fats are in plant oils that have been chemically changed to be a solid fat. These are called partially hydrogenated oils. At one time, trans fat oils were thought to be a healthy choice to replace saturated fats. They also were inexpensive and a had a long shelf life.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that artificially created trans fats are "no longer recognized as safe" in foods. They are no longer used in U.S. food production. They may still be used in other countries.
