People who ate the most trans fatty acids were more likely to have pre-cancerous growths or polyps in their colons than those who consumed the least, Dr. Lisa C. Vinikoor of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and colleagues found. "These results provide further support for recommendations to limit consumption of trans-fatty acids," they conclude.
Trans fats are formed by processing vegetable oils to increase their shelf-life, and are found in many baked goods, crackers, snacks and other packaged foods. Eating them increases levels of "bad" LDL-cholesterol, and hence heart disease risk. US food producers are now required to list the amount of trans fat contained in their products, and health authorities recommend people avoid eating trans fats entirely. ~ Reuters, 29 Aug 2008
Yet another reason why we should know the trans fat content of our desired food items.
In the US, there are already states which have established ordinances to force restaurants to place the trans fat content of food items found in their menus.
Here in the Philippines, however, that is still an unheard concept. Most people here still prefer to eat wantonly, and hardly care about trans fats or bad cholesterol. They only worry about their health when they're seriously ill already.
