Hydrogenized oils, trans fatty acids, CLA, and health

Question
Dear Tanya,

I've been trying to cut trans fats from my diet. Is it true that foods NOT containing partially hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fats, excluding dairy products and meats which have them naturally?

Thank you,

Jay

Answer
According to Fran McCullough (The Good Fat Cookbook,) our total intake of trans fats has increased by 25 times over the introduction of hydrogenated vegetable oils. So, you can draw the conclusion that without the hydrogenization, there's very little of it in natural foods, plus, the natural trans fats'  harmful effects are balanced by their beneficial effects (e.g., CLA)

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) have anti-carcinogenic properties, blocking tumour growth. In a study, breast cancer patients had lower serum CLA than control (Inverse Association Between Dietary and Serum Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women"; Nutrition and Cancer 2000, 38: 151-7.)

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