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T is for Transfat
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (hydrogenation) to turn liquids into solids eg. the production of margarine. Trans fat is found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, biscuits, snack and ‘fast’ foods and small amounts are also found naturally in dairy products and meat.
Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raise our LDL cholesterol levels but trans fat also decreases our HDL cholesterol levels and this significantly increases our risk for heart disease.
The average Australian intake of trans fat is below the World Health Organisation recommendation of no more than 1% of total daily kilojoule intake. However, there is increasing concern for our intake of trans fat due to the increasing intakes of fast foods, baked goods and deep fried foods.
