Effect of Dietary trans Fatty Acids on High-Density and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Healthy Subjects

RECENT studies have emphasized the importance of monounsaturated fatty acids in reducing saturated-fat intake and thereby lowering the serum level of the atherogenic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.1 , 2 These studies have focused on oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid with the cis configuration; however, many foods also contain trans fatty acids. These are unsaturated fatty acids in which the carbon moieties on the two sides of a double bond point in opposite directions. Most natural fats and oils contain only cis double bonds, in which the carbon moieties lie on the same side (Fig. 1). Trans fatty acids are found in . . .