Tips for understanding trans fats

Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are synthetic ingredients found in many food products, such as spreads and pastries. Here's what they are and why they should be avoided.

Trans fats are chemical by-products of an industrial process called hydrogenation. While experimenting with hydrogen molecules, chemists discovered that they could turn liquid vegetable oil into a solid at room temperature. It seemed like a golden opportunity. Why not use this process to produce cheap and accessible alternatives to products known to be high in unhealthy saturated fats, such as butter and lard? We know now that, far from being a healthier option, these artificially hardened fats behave in the body just like — or possibly worse than — saturated fats.

• As evidence against trans fats grows, many North American manufacturers have removed them from their products, while some cities have banned them from restaurants altogether. In Canada, it is compulsory to label products that contain them.
• When buying packaged food, look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" fats on the list of ingredients — if they're in there, they must be declared. If you find them, you can do your arteries a favour by putting the product back on the shelf.

• You may hear that cholesterol-lowering spreads are the answer to your cholesterol level problems, but it's not necessarily true. If your cholesterol level is too high, a cholesterol-lowering spread might help, but they are not generally recommended for people who have no other signs of cardiovascular disease.
• Many spreads, yogurt-type drinks and soft cheeses contain added plant chemicals called sterols and stanols, the plant equivalents of cholesterol in humans. They reduce the uptake of cholesterol from the intestines, and this has been shown to reduce levels of total and "bad" LDL cholesterol. However, although foods containing these plant chemicals may help to lower your cholesterol, it is still not clear whether they can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.