Why trans fats are perhaps the slowest form of food poisoning.
- Trans fats raise levels of LDL and reduce the particle size, increasing its atherogenic potential while decreasing HDL.
- Consumption of trans fats is so strongly associated with heart disease that one study showed that it led to a three-fold increase in risk of sudden cardiac death.
- They significantly increase systemic inflammation by elevating levels of C-reactive protein, which is associated with atherosclerosis and diabetes.
- They increase insulin resistance, which leads to obesity.
- Consumption of trans fats in early pregnancy may have negative impacts on birth weight, and cause growth and development problems in infants.
- Studies show that a high intake of trans fats leads to a faster rate of cognitive decline in older populations and there is evidence associating trans fat consumption with neurodegenerative diseases.
- Trans fat consumption may be linked to an increased risk of cancer.