It's well-known that trans fats (such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) can rot your arteries. Now, a surprising new finding says that trans fats make you fatter than other fats do.
Wake Forest University researchers fed monkeys the same number of calories, with 8% coming from either trans fats or monounsaturated fat (as in olive oil). Over six years, the monkeys that were eating trans fats gained four times more weight than the olive oil eaters. And the weight settled in the abdomen, producing the "apple" body shape that's linked to higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Tip: Check food labels for trans fats so you can avoid them. Major sources: commercially fried and baked foods.
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Copyright 2006 Jean Carper. Printed first in USA Weekend. All rights reserved.
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