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Previous Volume 354:1601-1613 April 13, 2006 Number 15 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Trans fats, unsaturated fatty acids with at least one double bond in the trans configuration (Figure 1), are formed during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, a process that converts vegetable oils into semisolid fats for use in margarines, commercial cooking, and manufacturing processes. From the perspective of the food industry, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are attractive because of their long shelf life, their stability during deep-frying, and their semisolidity, which can be customized to enhance the palatability of baked goods and sweets. The average consumption of industrially produced trans fatty acids in the United States is 2 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Physiological Effects of Trans Fatty Acids

Serum Lipids

Systemic Inflammation

Endothelial-Cell Function

Other Effects

Potential Molecular Mechanisms

Intake of Trans Fat and Cardiovascular Disease

CHD

Sudden Death from Cardiac Causes

Diabetes

Trans Fatty Acids from Ruminants

Reducing Intake of Trans Fatty Acids

Optimal Levels

Consumers' Choices

Industry Alternatives

Potential Benefits of Reducing Intake

Conclusions

Source Information

From the Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health — all in Boston (D.M., A.A., M.J.S., W.C.W.); and the Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, and Wageningen Center for Food Sciences — both in Wageningen, the Netherlands (M.B.K.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Mozaffarian at the Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Bldg. 2, Rm. 315, Boston, MA 02115, or at dmozaffa@hsph.harvard.edu.

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