Chemically speaking, "Trans" is a term that is used to state an arrangement of carbon atoms across the double bond in a molecule.
In this type of arrangement, the carbon atoms chains are straight and on the opposite sides of the double bond. These types of fats are unsaturated with trans-isomer fatty acids. These fats can either be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. When oils are recycled, heated, or used again and again during various cooking processes, liquid oils get converted into solid or semisolid fats through hydrogenation. This leads to the formation of trans fatty acids.
Trans fats are detrimental for our health. These fats increase your LDL, popularly known as bad cholesterol, and decrease your HDL that is the good cholesterol. Consumption of trans fats puts you at a greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that deaths due to heart disease are more often found to be related to trans fat consumption as compared to polyunsaturated fat consumption, which decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. People with Type 2 diabetes can also blame these trans fats for their condition.
Trans fats can also lead to weight gain and increase the abdominal fat, thereby triggering obesity related problems. They also interfere with delta 6 desaturase, an enzyme which converts essential fatty acids to arachidonic acid and prostaglandins, which are responsible for proper cellular functioning. Actually speaking, trans fats are of no use to the human body and only do harm. It is for this reason that the recommended value is 1 percent or less of the total fat intake.
These days, we see lot of packaged food cartons with the words "No trans fat" printed on their labels. However, if you carefully check the ingredients, you will find vegetable oil as their cooking medium, which means that their statement is true but only when it comes to a single serving size; as in small amounts, it may be negligible. If we were to take more than one serving size, the cumulative effect may increase the amount of trans fats going into our body. This is why reading product labels and making correct choices is very important because what you see is not always correct.
