- Hydrogenated vegetable oils tend to increase the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This type of cholesterol is known to increase the risk of heart disease.
- Saturation is the process of increasing the number of hydrogen atoms in a fat molecule, which reduces the number of double bonds in the molecule. The terms "hydrogenated" and "saturated" can generally be used interchangeably.
- The hydrogenation of an oil raises its melting point. Once the hydrogenation causes the oil to become a solid at room temperature, it's generally called a fat.
- Margarine is made by "hardening" vegetable oil through hydrogenation. The resulting fat has a higher degree of saturation than the original vegetable oil, but it's still less than butter.
- Trans fats are chemically unsaturated fats, although they have the same health risks as saturated fats. The primary advantages of trans fats are that they're solid at room temperature and have a longer shelf life than unsaturated fats.
