Trans fat roles in the body include:
? Lowers high density lipoproteins (HDL), otherwise known as the ?good
cholesterol?.2
? Raises low density lipoproteins (LDL), otherwise known as the ?bad cholesterol?.2
? Raises C-reactive protein, a substance in the blood that indicates arterial inflammation and is said to indicate proneness to heart disease.3
? Raises Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), a substance in the blood that indicates arterial inflammation and is said to indicate proneness to heart disease.4
? Raises C-reactive protein, a substance in the blood that indicates arterial inflammation and is said to indicate proneness to heart disease.5
? Promotes improper management of blood sugar thus having detrimental effects in diabetics.6
? Interferes with the function of the immune system.7
? Decreases the bodies ability to utilize and decreases the amount of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids in our tissues.7

What are trans fats? They are poison in our food supply. ?The latest government study confirms that trans fat is directly related with heart disease and increases LDL cholesterol. Because of that, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, declared there is no safe amount of trans fat in the diet.?8 ?There should be a warning on food made with this stuff like there is on nicotine products. It?s that bad for you, says Dr. Jeffery Aron, a University of California at San Francisco professor of medicine and one of the nation?s leading experts on fatty acids and their effect on the body.9

(Fats, cholesterol, and the lipid hypothesis)

Too little of one type of cholesterol has been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists studied more than 3,500 civil servants to investigate how levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol were associated with memory. HDL cholesterol can influence the formation of the beta-amyloid “plaques” that are a distinctive feature in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Higher levels of HDL are also believed to protect against damage to blood supply caused by the narrowing of the arteries.

After the five-year study period, the researchers found that people with low levels of HDL were 53 percent more likely to suffer memory loss than people with the highest levels of HDL.

Those with impaired memory are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and?Vascular Biol. 2008 Aug;28(8)