Americans officially have something to be proud of in the battle against obesity. A recently published study indicates that the average United States adult has far less trans fat in their blood today than they did just 10 years ago. Trans fat is considered the worst type of fat, and is most commonly found in processed foods. Several of the large food manufacturers have reduced or eliminated their use of trans fats in their processing, or trans fatty acids. This, in turn, is the most likely the primary cause for the decline in percentage of trans fat found in the blood.

The primary concern with consuming trans fat is that they increase low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels while reducing the level of of beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood. This is believed to significantly increase the risk of suffering from a heart attack.

58% Decline in Trans Fat Blood Levels Says Study

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, involved the retrieval of blood samples from 229 caucasian adults in 2000, and 292 additional samples from caucasian adults in 2009. Since trans fatty acids remain stable in the blood indefinitely, the researchers were able to analyze both batches of samples after the second round was completed.

After analyzing the blood samples to detect levels of four common trans fatty acids, it was determined that average trans fat blood levels dropped by roughly 58% over the course of the 9-year span.

The researchers were quick to point out that the results are not necessarily indicative of the general population since only caucasian individuals were examined in the study. Future trans fat research will likely include a more diverse participant pool.

The Dangers of Trans Fat

Health and fitness experts recommend that you restrict yourself to as little trans fat as possible each day, consuming no more than a gram or two daily at the absolute most (though consuming zero trans fat is even better). This is because trans fat is best known for its negative health properties, which exceed those of saturated fat. In fact, eating too much trans fat will greatly increase your risk of a number of health conditions, including high cholesterol and heart disease.

The Reason Behind the Drop

Although the CDC researchers couldn’t pinpoint the exact reasons why average trans fat levels dropped so significantly, they had a couple of guesses. Since trans fat is rarely found in nature, the researchers suggested that regulations implemented by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 requiring nutrition labels to include trans fat content may have helped.

According to Hubert Vesper of the CDC, an increase in education regarding the dangers of trans fatty acids may have been responsible as well. With more people using the internet each and every day, individuals have easier access to updated health and fitness information.

Perhaps the most important factor, however, was that food manufacturers began to reduce or eliminate trans fat from their products around the same time the FDA passed the aforementioned nutrition label regulations, if only to maintain or improve their sales figures. Many processed snacks and fast food items that once contained large amount of trans fat now contain little or none.

A Direction for Future Trans Fat Research

As mentioned, the most imperative objective for future trans fat research will be studying a more ethnically diverse population. However, CDC researchers also plan to reexamine the current data to determine whether cholesterol levels dropped along with trans fat levels.

Finally, the researchers hope to come to a more definitive conclusion as to why trans fat levels dropped so remarkably. This information could be used in the development of additional public health measures designed to further reduce trans fat levels.

Trans Fat Levels: The Bottom Line

A recent CDC study indicates that average trans fat levels have dropped among caucasian Americans by roughly 58% since the year 2000. The decline may be explained by a reduction in trans fat levels in manufactured foods, the appearance of trans fat amounts on food labels in 2003, and increased public awareness regarding the dangers of consuming trans fatty acids.