Relationship Between Dietary trans Fatty Acids and Health Aspects

Abstract

Trans fatty acids (TFA) containing fats and oils are known to increase biomarkers of chronic disease risk, especially for cardiovascular disease, and impair essential fatty acid metabolism. Therefore in countries such as the United States, total TFA had be declared on the nutrition label. In other countries such as Denmark, Switzerland and Austria are restricting use of fats and oils contain- ing TFA. In Japan, The Food Safety Commission of Japan have expressed that intake of TFA in popula- tion of Japan is lower than the standard level recommended by WHO. Therefore, health effects of TFA in population in Japan, as far as they follow a normal diet, are considered to be little. With this state- ment, Japanese interests about the TFA have been diminished. But TFA issue has not been resolved. The aim of the present report is to provide a summary of the current of TFA.