Trans Fat: The Type of Fat You Should Not Consume If Possible

December 10, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the World Health Organization, high intake of industrially produced trans fat significantly increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This makes trans fat the single most harmful type of fat that you should not consume if possible.

Quick Summary

This guide explains why industrial trans fat should be eliminated from the diet due to its severe negative effects on heart health. It details how to identify and avoid this dangerous fat by reading food labels and outlines the distinction between harmful trans fats and healthier alternatives.

Key Points

Worst Fat: Artificial trans fat is the most harmful type of fat to consume due to its severe negative impact on heart health.
Health Risks: It increases bad LDL cholesterol while decreasing good HDL cholesterol, significantly raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Identify and Avoid: Always check ingredient lists for "partially hydrogenated oils," as products can be labeled "0g trans fat" while still containing harmful amounts.
Common Sources: Artificial trans fat is typically found in fried fast foods, processed baked goods like cookies and crackers, vegetable shortening, and stick margarine.
Healthier Alternatives: Replace trans fats with healthier unsaturated fats from plant oils, nuts, seeds, and fish to improve cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk.
Global Efforts: Many governments and health organizations, like the WHO, are working to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from the global food supply.

Understanding the Most Dangerous Type of Fat

While the human body needs some dietary fat to function, not all fats are created equal. Some are essential for energy and vitamin absorption, while others, particularly artificial trans fats, pose a significant risk to heart health. Artificially produced trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), are widely considered the worst type of fat for consumption.

How Are Trans Fats Created?

Most trans fat is a manufactured byproduct created during a process called hydrogenation. This industrial process adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil to make it more solid and stable at room temperature. Food manufacturers adopted this process because partially hydrogenated oil is cheap to produce, has a long shelf life, and provides desirable textures to products. Despite these benefits for food production, the health consequences are severe.

The Severe Health Risks of Trans Fat

Consumption of industrial trans fat has no known health benefits and has been strongly linked to a range of chronic health issues. Its most documented negative effect is on cholesterol levels. Trans fat simultaneously raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol. This combination significantly increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, trans fat promotes inflammation, which is implicated in chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Where to Find and Avoid Trans Fats

Thanks to increased awareness and regulation, many countries have banned or restricted the use of artificial trans fats in food production. However, it is still crucial to be vigilant, especially when consuming highly processed or fried foods. Natural trans fats exist in small amounts in meat and dairy products from ruminant animals, but it is the industrial version that poses the greatest threat.

Foods Containing Artificial Trans Fats

Baked Goods: Cookies, crackers, cakes, and pastries made with vegetable shortening.
Fried Foods: French fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken from fast-food restaurants.
Processed Snacks: Microwave popcorn and certain chips and snack foods.
Margarine and Shortening: Stick margarine and vegetable shortening often contain partially hydrogenated oils.
Refrigerated Dough: Products like biscuits and rolls can contain hidden trans fats.

Reading Labels to Identify Trans Fats

It is important to read the ingredients list on packaged foods carefully, as regulatory loopholes can be misleading. In some regions, a product can be labeled with "0 g trans fat" if it contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. While this may seem insignificant, these small amounts can add up quickly if you eat multiple servings. Always check the ingredient list for the terms "partially hydrogenated oil" or "hydrogenated oil," as their presence indicates artificial trans fats.

Comparing Trans Fat with Healthier Options


Feature	Trans Fat (Industrial)	Saturated Fat	Unsaturated Fat (Mono/Poly)
Effect on LDL	Raises LDL significantly	Raises LDL, but less harmful than trans fat	Lowers LDL
Effect on HDL	Lowers HDL	No significant effect or raises slightly	Raises HDL
Health Impact	No known benefits; high risk of heart disease	Moderate intake not as harmful as once thought, but best in moderation	Heart-healthy; essential for body functions
Common Sources	Partially hydrogenated oils, fast food, baked goods	Animal products, tropical oils (coconut, palm)	Plant oils (olive, canola), nuts, seeds, fish
Room Temperature	Solid or semi-solid	Solid	Liquid

Conclusion: Prioritizing Healthier Fats

Eliminating artificial trans fat is one of the most impactful dietary choices you can make for your heart and overall health. While trans fat was once a staple of processed foods, regulatory changes and improved technology have made it easier to avoid. By focusing on whole foods, reading labels carefully, and opting for heart-healthy unsaturated fats, you can minimize your intake of this dangerous fat. Replacing trans fats with unsaturated alternatives like olive oil, nuts, and fish is a proven strategy for improving cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. For further reading, consult the World Health Organization's REPLACE initiative guidelines for eliminating industrially produced trans fat from the global food supply.

Actionable steps for a trans fat-free diet

Prioritize fresh, whole foods over highly processed, packaged options.
Read ingredient lists, looking specifically for "partially hydrogenated oils".
Cook at home using healthy fats like olive or canola oil instead of butter or shortening.
Limit fast food and fried items, as they are common sources of artificial trans fat.
Choose soft margarines that explicitly state they are trans fat-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary danger of consuming trans fats is their severe impact on cardiovascular health. They are known to increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, while simultaneously lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, which significantly raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Most trans fats found in processed foods are created through an industrial process called hydrogenation. This involves adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil to make it more solid and increase its shelf life.

Not completely. In the United States, manufacturers can label a product as having '0g trans fat' if it contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. This means small, hidden amounts of trans fat can add up if you consume multiple servings.

In addition to cardiovascular disease, high intake of artificial trans fats is linked to increased inflammation, which can contribute to chronic illnesses like diabetes. Some studies also link trans fat consumption to a higher risk of certain cancers.

To identify trans fats on an ingredient list, look for the terms 'partially hydrogenated oil' or 'hydrogenated oil'. The presence of these ingredients, even if the nutrition label says '0g trans fat,' indicates that the product contains artificial trans fat.

Yes, small amounts of trans fats occur naturally in meat and dairy products from ruminant animals like cows and sheep. However, studies suggest that moderate intake of these natural trans fats is not as harmful as industrially produced trans fats.

For cooking and baking, healthier alternatives to shortening or stick margarine (which often contain trans fats) include liquid vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fats, such as olive, canola, or sunflower oil.