ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION trans Fatty acids are present in a variety of food products; some are derived from natural sources, such as dairy products, but most come from products that contain commercially hydrogenated fats. The nutritional properties of trans fatty acids have been debated for many years, particularly with respect to the amounts of low density and high density lipoprotein (LDL, HDL) contained in serum. Some studies have shown that trans fatty acids elevate levels of serum LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol [1-3]. Such results drew a great deal of media attention, which led to several requests for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make labeling of trans fatty acids mandatory on food products. There have also been requests to either ban these substances or to impose strict limitations on their use. However, a comprehensive report of an expert panel convened by the International Life Sciences Institute [4] concluded that food products containing partially hydrogenated fats are good substitutes for traditional fats rich in saturated fat, but are not good substitutes for unhydrogenated vegetable oils. The report also concluded that the overall effect of hydrogenated fat on serum cholesterol levels depends on the consumption of saturated, trans/cis-monounsaturated, and cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids. The authors recommended more research to better understand the effects of trans fatty acids on serum lipid concentrations and coronary heart disease. We recently discussed both the nutritional and food labeling issues associated with trans fatty acids [5].
