What are trans-fatty acids anyway?
Trans fatty acids are found in many foods – especially in commercially packaged goods such as cookies and crackers, commercially fried food such as French fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as micro-waved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and some margarine. Indeed, any packaged goods that contain “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils” or “shortening” most likely contain trans fats. Trans-fatty acids increase LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) therefore increasing the risk of heart disease. Some studies also showed that a diet high in trans-fatty acids might be linked to a greater risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
