We may be winning the battle against trans fats, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that finds levels of the unhealthy fats dropped 58% from 2000 to 2009. Researchers cautioned that the findings were preliminary, however, and reflected only a small sampling of white adults. The study measured trans fatty acid levels in the blood of 229 people in 2000 and 292 in 2009. After evidence that the fats, typically in the form of partially hydrogenated oils, both raised bad LDL cholesterol and lowered good HDL cholesterol, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required food manufacturers to list trans fat levels on nutrition labels. State and local governments enacted trans fat bans that now cover about 20% of the US population, including California, New York City and Philadelphia.
