Naturally occurring trans fat???

[BlueFenix13S]

I came across a label today that said "This product contains naturally occurring trans fatty acids." Of course I put it right back on the shelf and ran like a bat out of you know where haha. Is there even such a thing? I'm assuming it's just as bad for you as if the label says "hydrogenated".....

[boyscouT]

Yes there is such a thing.

Natural trans fats are harmless.

Synthetic trans fats are the ones you want to stay away from.

[gymgrown]

Actually, it's not as bad for you, and you shouldn't worry about it. I've read that naturally occuring trans fats aren't a concern, since they're slightly different (they're existent in butter, split peas, and some other things). What product was it, btw?

[BlueFenix13S]

It was for a package of steak filets, which I thought was odd. The label didn't say hydrogenated or partially hyrdogenated anything on it, but the words "trans fat" make me leery even if they are reportedly safe. I guess maybe just keep that intake as low as possible? It had .5g per 4 oz. serving.

[gymgrown]

Steak is good. Don't worry about it.

[X-Mark-X]

Ya, the artifical ones are bad, the natural ones are fine for you. The best way to tell if it's natural of artificial is as follows:

Natural trans fats will occur in animal products. So meats, butters, etc. What you want to avoid is hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Also, shortening, and often "modified" oils as well I believe. If it's an animal product (such as steak) and it doesn't say hydrogenated oil in the ingredients then it's fine.

[Struct09]

It was for a package of steak filets, which I thought was odd. The label didn't say hydrogenated or partially hyrdogenated anything on it, but the words "trans fat" make me leery even if they are reportedly safe. I guess maybe just keep that intake as low as possible? It had .5g per 4 oz. serving.

Yeah, the only things that would be hydrogenated in any way would be oils. The trans fat in meat is naturally occurring, and nothing to worry about.

[green10]

Man made trans-fat and naturally occuring trans-fat are similar in structure, but not exactly the same. Here's an excerpt from The Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research that explains the differences.

Excerpt:

But there are substantial differences between trans fats that are naturally occurring and those that are industrially produced. Not only is the process of hydrogenation radically different, but so are the types and amounts of trans fats created.

Unsaturated fats in plant foods eaten by ruminant animals (cows and sheep) undergo hydrogenation via bacteria found in the rumen.1 Thus, dairy fat contains small amounts of trans (measured in milligrams). But the process is completely natural, aided by bacterial enzymes at normal body temperature and at pressures easily withstood by living organisms.1 These naturally occurring trans fats have been in the food supply at least since the domestication of animals, 10,000 or more years ago, when man first started consuming their milk and meat.

[Many of] the same isomers are typically found in both naturally occurring ruminant and industrial trans fats, but because their distribution is so vastly different, so too are their effects.4,5 For one thing, the pattern of trans occurring in partially hydrogenated vegetable products has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.4,6 In contrast, vaccenic acid, the predominant isomer in dairy trans,1 is partially converted by the body into conjugated linoleic acid (CLA),7 which has been identified as a potential inhibitor of breast cancer.8-10

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Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...0/ai_n15641574

So the body converts some natural TFAs into CLA, which is actually beneficial. Bottom line, don't worry too much about trans-fat from natural sources.