Trans fatty acids – what are we to do?

South Africans have been cholesterol conscious for many years, trying to do all in their power to stamp out cholesterol in their diets. We turn all commercial products around and read the labels very intently to make sure the foodstuff is free of any trace of cholesterol. We think, if we do not read cholesterol in the nutritional information, we are in the clear, but the truth is other fats increase cholesterol as much as cholesterol itself!

The first step in lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is to understand which fats have a positive or negative effect on your blood cholesterol. The table in the Kitchen Talk - Trans Fatty Acids Document shows the major different fats found in food and sources thereof.

Saturated fats are the main dietary cause for raising blood cholesterol by increasing the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Trans fats are even more harmful whereas the bad cholesterol levels are also increased, but in turn this fat also reduces the good cholesterol levels (HDL).

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