News you can use | Profiling the killer fats

Did you know just a few French fries or a couple of samosas could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease by 23%? That’s the effect of the 2% dose of trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in them.

In an ongoing N-DOC survey in Delhi, 72% of women respondents had heard of trans-fats. Only 28% knew what they were, just 17% knew the sources. Trans-fats are made when cooking oils are overheated or heated repeatedly, and when liquid oils are hydrogenated into hard fats. Vanaspati—the favoured cooking medium for street vendors, according to the survey—is a whopping 40% trans-fat. Small amounts are also found in dairy, animal foods and other vegetable oils.

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