Foods That Contain Hidden Trans Fats

Lower your risk for heart disease when you cut these foods from your diet.

Lost in Translation is a 2003 Sofia Coppola film about a once-was-movie-star (Bill Murray) who lost his twinkle—until he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in a hotel in Tokyo. Their friendship is powerful and disruptive, and it’s hard to know exactly where it will lead them.

Fortunately, you know exactly where the result of Lost Trans Fats will lead you: away from a major cause of heart attack, stroke and possibly even brain dysfunction and cancer.

The FDA has banned these hydrogenated oils from foods—mostly. They did say what’s already been manufactured with trans fats may be sold to consumers, and they extended the date for some food companies to find a substitute that preserves texture, taste and shelf life. So, it would seem like a trans-fat-free grocery store would be complete by 2020, right?

Not so fast. Turns out trans fats are present naturally in some foods such as beef, pork, lamb, butter and milk—animal proteins that are also loaded with highly-inflammatory, heart-clogging saturated fat.

How do they get there? Bacteria in animals' stomachs hydrogenate the fatty oils they consume through their feed. And one study found eating lots of natural or artificial trans fats (that comes to just under four percent of your daily calorie intake) is equally likely to up your risk for heart disease.

So, if you want trans fats to get lost for good, remove red meats and dairy from your diet. Then, body-wide inflammation and increased risk of chronic diseases will be Lost in your Transition!

Medically reviewed in January 2020.