The “Bad Guy”
The first thing I’m going to say about this guy is that he’s nasty. He is just not a pleasant fat. He’s got nothing good about him, at all. The only time you want to eat trans fat is…well, never.
Trans fats are man-made. Think Crisco. They’re greasy, thick, and are solid at room temperature. They have no nutritional benefits, other than that that can be used as energy. However, these fats get stored in the body easily and is most likely going to be turned into cholesterol.
Know Your Enemy
Trans fats are a type of saturated fat. Because they are saturated fats, they’re already hydrogenated. However, they’d hydrogenated further and become worse for your health than other saturated fats. Unlike other saturated fats, though, trans fats are man-made. A good way to tell which fats are trans is to see what their consistency is at cooking temperature and room temperature. Any food that is liquid at cooking temperature and solid at room temperature is a trans fat. This means that most fried foods are trans fats.
Minimize Your Intake
These unpleasant fats aren’t also the easiest to avoid. However, they’re not impossible to reduce or cut out completely. It takes some effort, but it’s also one of the fundamentals to improving your lifestyle. These fats are one of the #1 risks to your heart health, so consider your options. You may be able to greatly increase your healthfulness!