trans fatty acids


stealth fat

Nutrition
A nonspecific term that has been used for:
(1) A fat (bisphenol A) that does not appear on food nutrition labels and which may impact upon weight gain.
(2) Body fat that accumulates when people underestimate the amount of food that they are eating—e.g., from snacking, bits of leftovers on plates in family meals, various juices and low- (but not no-) calorie foods and beverages.

trans fatty acids

Unsaturated fatty acids with at least one double bond in the TRANS configuration. They are formed during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils in the manufacture of margarines. Trans fatty acids promote inflammation and increase activity of the tumour necrosis factor in obese women. A daily intake of about five grams of trans fat is believed to be associated with a 25 percent in crease in the risk of coronary artery disease. In the USA the FDA now (2006) requires food labelling to include content of trans fatty acids.