Natural trans fats in foods

The trans fat we usually talk about comes from the hydrogenation process that is used to stabilize oils and fats. However, trans fat can naturally occur in food in small quantities. What kinds of food have natural trans fat? Meat and some dairy products can have very small amounts of naturally occuring trans fat.

However, it is important to note that even though they are classified as trans fats, they are chemically different from the ones created by the partial hydrogenation process. While further research is necessary, to date the naturally created trans fats have not been linked to the same negative health effects as the hydrogenated type. In addition, the quantities found are generally very small and are of less concern just because they are so minimal.

So, watch your trans fat intake, but don't worry as much about the "natural" kind...