Fucked up yo: Trans-fats

Trans fats called 'the most harmful substance in the American diet'

By John Fauber
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

May 19, 2006, 6:32 AM EDT

For decades, saturated fats, which occur naturally in animal products, have been linked to heart disease. But in the last decade trans fatty acids, which are concocted in commercial plants, have showed they may be even worse.

Mmmmm...yum.

Last month, researchers writing in the New England Journal of Medicine came up with a startling calculation buried deep in their exhaustive review of dozens of trans fat studies published over more than a decade.

Near elimination of artificially produced trans fats would avert between 72,000 and 228,000 heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease in the United States each year.

``The evidence for harm is considerable,'' said lead author Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. ``There really is little reason for having them in the food supply.''

So, then, why?

In addition to adding texture and flavor, trans fats increase the shelf life of baked goods such as cookies and crackers as well as margarines. They create more stability in deep frying. And they cost less.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, allowing it to be solid at room temperature. They also occur naturally in smaller amounts in dairy products and meat from cows, sheep and other ruminant animals.

After years of mounting evidence of potential harm, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that as of Jan. 1 food labels must include trans fat content information.