| Abstract: | This article covers four topics related to current health and nutrition aspects of dietary trans fatty acids (TFA): (1) current dietary guidelines for TFA; (2) an updated exposure estimate to industrially‐produced TFA; (3) a consideration of effects of TFA from ruminant sources; and (4) a discussion of effects of substituting stearic acid (STA) for TFA. Health professional organizations recommend that intake of TFA from industrial sources be as low as possible. Doell and coworkers 2 have reported a substantial reduction in exposure to industrially‐produced TFA in the US from 4.6 g/person/day in 2003 to 1.0 g/person/day currently. Brouwer et al. 5 have concluded that all TFA, whether from animal or industrial sources, raise the ratio of plasma LDL‐ to HDL‐cholesterol. Studies involving one‐to‐one substitution of STA for TFAs have shown a decrease or no effect on LDL‐cholesterol concentration and an increase or no effect on HDL‐cholesterol concentration. Overall, during the last 10 or more years, there has been a major reduction in TFA levels in the U.S. food supply, and efforts continue to reduce these levels further. |
