What's this Trans Fat thing?

1. vegetable oil that has been treated with hydrogen in order to make it more solid and give it a longer shelf life.

2. Trans fat is a type of processed fat that does not occur in nature (also called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat/oil). Used in baked goods like doughnuts, breads, crackers, potato chips, cookies and many other processed food products like margarine and salad dressings.

3. A trans fatty acid (commonly shortened to trans fat) is an unsaturated fatty acid whose molecules contain trans double bonds between carbon atoms, which makes the molecules less kinked compared to those of 'cis fat'. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The National Academy of Sciences recommended in 2002 that dietary intake of trans fatty acids be minimized.