The unequivocal link between the consumption of trans fats and the development of heart disease

We know that fat plays a role in heart disease, but just which fats are responsible for damaging our cardiovascular system? For many years, it was believed that the saturated fat in that juicy steak was to blame. Then, many researchers and doctors noted that there were good fats, such as the essential fatty acids found in some types of fish, which are great for the body and heart. Until recently, many doctors did not understand why, while more people decreased their overall fat intake and continued to consume “healthy” fats, there was still a rise in cardiovascular disease, especially among women. Now, due to many current studies, doctors are confident that trans fats, found in many processed foods, and are to blame for widespread heart disease.

A study, conducted by Rodale Health and published in the American Heart Journal, examined information from 86,000 women who participated in the Nurse’s Health Study. The researchers found that women who ate the most trans fats, relatively two and a half percent of their daily caloric intake, were three times as likely to suffer cardiac arrest as compared to women who only consumed one percent of trans fats according to the New York Daily News. These findings led the research team to believe that there is an unequivocal link between the consumption of trans fats and the development of heart disease. Whereas saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats occur naturally in the foods we eat, trans fats are created during the processing of certain foods. These manufactured, chemically altered fats raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL), both of which contribute to cardiovascular problems.

The problem is that most of these trans fats are found in many of the foods that we eat, especially in fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), and in baked goods (such as pies). It is critical to know what you are eating and to read the labels of any processed food that you are consuming. If you already have heart disease, it is even more crucial to get rid of all of the trans fats in your diet. The risk of having cardiac risk is even greater if you combine an already diagnosed heart disease condition with a consumption of trans fats. Although those Little Debbie snack cakes may sound like a good idea, it is best to find an alternative option to avoid unnecessary trans fats and an unnecessary heart disease diagnosis, or even worse, a heart attack of stroke.