Trans fats linked to greater heart disease risk

A study published today supports recent efforts to rid the American diet of trans fats. In the study, women with the highest levels of trans fat in their blood had triple the risk of heart disease as those with the lowest levels.“Humans cannot synthesize, or create, trans fatty acid. The only source is through diet,” study chief Dr. Frank B. Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, said in a written statement.

The main source of trans fat in the diet is partially hydrogenated oils that are plentiful in cookies, crackers, pastries and fried foods. “Eliminating the use of partially hydrogenated oils and other sources of trans fat in the U.S. diet — as long as saturated fat intake doesn’t increase — will likely help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease,” Hu said. Read More…