Trans fat is a uniquely harmful dietary risk that governments are racing to eliminate.

Food & Drink · Published 3 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Trans fat is a double threat to heart health: it simultaneously raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. While naturally occurring in some animal products, industrially produced trans fat is a preventable killer that causes over 278,000 deaths annually. Global health authorities are now mandating its total removal from food.

Trans fat, or trans-fatty acids, are unsaturated fats that exist in two forms: natural and industrial. Naturally occurring trans fat is found in meat and dairy from ruminant animals like cows, sheep, and goats. Industrially produced trans fat, however, is created through partial hydrogenation—a process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature. This transformation creates partially hydrogenated oil (PHO), which is prized by the food industry for its long shelf life and low cost, commonly appearing in fried foods, baked goods, margarine, and shortening.

The health consequences of consuming these fats are severe. Trans fat has no known nutritional benefits and is linked to a 34% increase in the risk of death from any cause, a 28% increase in coronary heart disease deaths, and a 21% increase in coronary heart disease incidence. By clogging arteries and negatively altering cholesterol profiles—raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL) while suppressing high-density lipoprotein (HDL)—trans fat directly contributes to cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide.

Recognizing these dangers, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting trans fat intake to less than 1% of total daily energy. Because industrially produced trans fat can be replaced with healthier alternatives like polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats without impacting food cost or taste, the WHO advocates for mandatory national limits or outright bans on PHOs. These regulatory approaches have proven far more effective than voluntary measures. Today, nearly half the global population is covered by such policies, marking a significant shift toward eliminating this preventable dietary risk factor for heart disease.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

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