High Trans Fat Intake Triples Heart Disease Risk

"Trans fats are a dangerous and unnecessary component of our diet. When you look at data like this, it's scary. Just a small change gives you a great increase in risk," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of the Women's Health Program at New York University Medical Center and author ofThe Women's Healthy Heart Program: Lifesaving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women.

"People really need to be aware of trans fat and take it out of their diets," she said, adding that the FDA's recent labeling change -- introduced in January 2006 -- makes it easier for people to know what's in packaged foods. It's still difficult to know what's in restaurant or fast foods, however.

But Goldberg believes that a law recently passed in New York City to ban restaurants from serving foods containing trans fat after 2008 may "have a domino effect" across the country. However, until that law takes effect, she suggests avoiding fried foods and ordering fruit for dessert when eating out.

When buying packaged goods, look for foods that have no trans fat. However, under current rules, products with 0.5 grams or less trans fat can label their products as having zero grams of trans fat. That means if you have four foods with 0.5 grams of trans fat each, you've unwittingly eaten two grams of trans fat. Given that this study found that averaging just one extra gram daily can significantly increase your heart disease risk, Hu said the labeling is probably "something we should consider."

In the meantime, if a product is labeled zero grams of trans fat, but the ingredient list includes "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," the fooddoescontains some trans fat, Hu noted.

More information

To learn more about trans fats, visit the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, nutrition and epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass.; Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director, Women's Health Program, New York University Medical Center, and author,The Women's Healthy Heart Program: Lifesaving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women; April 10, 2007,Circulation