Trans fatty acids, consumption effects

Unfortunately, not all of the unsaturated fats appear to be equally safe. When we eat partially hydrogenated fats, we increase our consumption of trans-fatty acids. These acids, which are isomers of the naturally occurring ds-fatty acids, have been implicated in a variety of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The strongest evidence that frans-fatty acids may be harmful comes in studies of the incidence of coronary heart disease. Ingestion of trans-fatty acids appears to increase blood cholesterol levels, in particular the ratio of low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol) to high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or "good" cholesterol). The trans-fatty acids appear to exhibit harmful effects on the heart that are similar to those shown by saturated fatty acids. 

Nutrition. Fats and oils are recognized as important nutrients for both humans and animals because they provide a concentrated source of energy, contain essential fatty acids, and serve as carriers for fat-soluble vitamins. Research studies have also indicated a relationship between saturated fats, cholesterol, and trans-isomers and the incidence of coronary heart disease. In many cases, shortening functionality can be maintained with formulations limiting cholesterol, the identified saturated fatty acids, and tran -isomers. Shortening formulation can also aid in reductions of fat consumption by development of more effective products to reduce the levels required to produce the desired functionality and finished product quality. 

Although trans- and saturated fats have beneficial attributes from the standpoint of food formulation (firmness, reduction of oil migration, and leakage), they have also been linked to detrimental health effects. As a result, the World Health Organization recommends that fat consumption should be shifted toward unsaturated fatty acids as opposed to saturated and trans-fats. However, fat sources higher in unsaturated fatty acids, such as edible oils, lack structure at room temperature. As a consequence, they can produce adverse effects in food products, which often result in a reduction in... 

As mentioned earlier, saturated fatty acids (SFA) of foods are regarded as the cause of a high-risk pattern of blood lipoproteins octadecanoic (stearic, Cig) acid and tetradecanoic (myristic, C14) acid and also all trans acids are considered to be the most damaging. With increasing consumption of SFA, blood levels of cholesterol and LDL are raised. Conversely, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are judged to be beneficial, although the various families of PUFA differ in their effects the n-6 PUFA (which occur mainly in plant lipids) reduce the blood concentration of LDL, and the n-3 PUFA (from fish lipids) reduce VLDL. It is considered desirable to have a balance in the diet of n-6 to n-3 PUFA the recommended maximum ratio is 4 1. In between the SFA and PUFA are the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), such as octadecenoic (oleic, 18 1) acid, which are regarded as neutral or possibly beneficial to blood lipoproteins. 

The intermediate in hydrogenation, formed by reaction of the unsaturated ester with the hydrogenated surface of the metal catalyst, not only can proceed to the saturated fatty acid ester, but also can dissociate to constitutional and stereoisomers. Unlike polyunsaturated vegetable oils, which tend to reduce serum cholesterol levels, the trans fats produced by stereoisomerization during partial hydrogenation have cholesterol-raising effects similar to those of saturated fats. Increased consumption of trans fats has been linked to higher levels of coronary artery disease. 

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