Trans fat is even worse for your waistline than you thought
A recent study examines the effect of trans fat versus unsaturated fat and finds that trans fat is significantly worse for you than unsaturated fat. Calories consumed as trans fat are likely to increase your waistline and weight far more than unsaturated fats.
Trans fat is commonly found in fast food and packaged snacks. Olive oil, vegetables, and nuts are typical sources of unsaturated fat.
In the study, a group of monkeys were fed a controlled diet for six years. All monkeys received the same caloric intake, including 35 percent fat, intended to be representative of a typical Western diet. One group of monkeys consumed 8 percent of their diet as trans fat, while the other group did not consume trans fats.
Wake Forest University professor Lawrence L. Rudel was surprised to find that the monkeys on a trans fat diet increased their abdominal fat and overall weight, while the monkeys on an unsaturated fat diet gained very little, even though their intake was identical.
“We believed they couldn’t get obese because we did not give them enough calories to get fat,” explained Rudel.
Researchers saw the body weight of the monkeys fed the diet high in trans fats increase by 7.2 percent, while the monkeys fed monounsaturated fats only had a 1.8 percent increase in body fat. The extra fat in all of the monkeys was concentrated in the abdomen, and CT scans showed greater concentrations of abdominal fat deposits in the trans-fat diet monkeys — 30 percent higher than the monounsaturated diet group.
This is yet another reason to limit your intake of french fries, chips, and processed foods.
Links:
- Trans Fats May Speed ‘Spare Tire’, HealthDay, June 14, 2006
- Why fast foods are bad, even in moderation, New Scientist, June 12, 2006
- McDonald’s Fries are even worse for you than previously thought, Nutrition and Health News, February 8, 2006
- Trans Fat Diet Induces Insulin Resistance in Monkeys, Kylie Kavanagh, Kate Jones, Janet Sawyer, Kathryn Kelly, Janice D. Wagner, Lawrence L. Rudel, at 66th American Diabetes Association
Tags: obesity, nutrition, health, diet, weight loss, weight management
June 15th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Not only can you gain weight but trans fat can increase the liklihood of heart disease in the long run. it is good that most food manufaturers now have to label it on their packaging. and many have reduced or eliminated it completely which is great! you still have to wtach ingredients, epecially with margarine, packaged foods, baking, and frozen food. fast food places still use hydrogenated oils too- caution!
June 21st, 2006 at 8:07 pm
We need more trans fat awareness and restaurants and food distributors must be more proactive in cutting it out from our diet. Trans fat is just as bad for humans as it is for monkeys!
July 4th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
That doesn’t suprize me one bit as in all my research I strongly beleve trans fats have a big role in why people are obese.