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Why are trans fats considered more harmful to heart health than saturated fats?

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Trans fat Commercially manufactured foods, including cookies, doughnuts, and muffins, often contain trans fats.

Trans fats are considered more harmful to heart health than saturated fats because they have a dual negative impact on blood cholesterol levels. While both types of fat raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—which contributes to the buildup of fat in blood vessels and increases the risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke—trans fats uniquely possess the additional danger of lowering levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.12

HDL cholesterol is essential for heart health because it transports cholesterol from cells and blood vessels to the liver for excretion. Because HDL levels are inversely correlated with heart disease risk, the depletion of this "good" cholesterol by trans fat significantly compounds the cardiovascular risk compared to saturated fats, which generally do not lower HDL. Due to these severe health implications, health authorities and medical professionals strongly advise against the consumption of manufactured products containing trans fats.12