Chicago – People who consume the highest levels of trans fatty acids, primarily from fast foods and packaged snacks, may have triple the risk of developing coronary heart disease than those consuming the lowest levels of trans fats, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study.
Earlier population studies have shown a link between trans fats and heart disease, but the new Harvard study is the first to show that people with the highest levels of trans fats in their diet also had the highest levels of trans fats imbedded in their red blood cells.
The study found that high trans-fat levels in the blood are also associated with increased levels of low-density lipoproteins, the so-called bad cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoproteins, the helpful cholesterol.
“These biodata provide further evidence that high consumption of trans fatty acids is a strong and independent risk factor for coronary heart disease,” said Harvard’s Dr. Qi Sun.
“It’s reasonable to recommend that the intake of trans fats should be kept as low as possible based on the evidence that we have,” Qi said.
The study involved blood samples collected in 1989-90 from 30,000 participants of the Nurses’ Health Study.
During a six-year follow-up period, 167 nurses were diagnosed with heart disease.
They were matched with 344 healthy nurses for age, smoking and diet.
The researchers found, for example, that a person consuming 4 grams of trans fats in a daily diet that consisted of 2,000 calories of fat had triple the risk of heart disease as a person consuming 2.6 grams of trans fats in a 2,000-fat-calorie diet.
People found to have the highest levels of trans fats in their blood also were the ones who ate the most food containing high levels of trans fats.
Besides fast foods and many prepared foods, trans fats are commonly found in fried foods and bakery goods.
“Our bodies do not need trans fats, and this research shows they are not good for our health,” Sun said.
