Look what I found on a website:

"To hydrogenate an oil, hydrogen is bubbled through the oil with a
nickel catalyst at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. These high
temperatures twist the molecules' configuration. Trans-fatty acid is
the short form for transformed fatty acid. The body does not recognize
that these twisted fatty acid molecules are harmful, and innocently
utilizes them. They fit into cell membranes like broken keys, stopping
the cell's proper function. An essential fatty acid molecule is
curved, whereas a trans-fatty acid is straight. In the diagram on the
following page, the essential fatty acid has two hydrogen atoms on the
same side. These hydrogen atoms repel each other and bend the molecule.
Molecules in this shape do not stick together and remain fluid-like in
the blood. In the trans-fatty acid, the hydrogen atom has been forced
to the other side of the molecule. The trans-fatty acid molecule
straightens. Now they easily lock together, causing them to stick to
cholesterol and saturated fats. This stickiness increases fatty
deposits in the arteries, liver and other organs. Platelet aggregation
is increased, which in turn increases the chance of blood clotting,
strokes and heart attacks. A trans-fatty acid cannot correctly perform
the function of an essential fatty acid, thereby causing short circuits
in the electrical flow responsible for heartbeat, nerve functions, cell
division and mental balance. They create free radicals that have been
linked to cancer. Trans-fatty acids act like saturated fats because
they increase blood cholesterol."
--source:
http://www.freedomyou.com/nutrition_...and%20Oils.htm

I'm as anti trans-fat as anyone, but there is so much inaccurate in the
above
piece. What an idiot. This clown has apparently vanity pressed a book
that he's trying to sell, and looking further into the site you see
they're also promoting kooky religious and conspiracy crap, which seems
so often to go hand in hand with junk science.

--Bryan

Somewhat related-

"Why Fat Tastes So Good"

No matter how cleverly prepared, fat-free foods never seem satisfying.
Now we know why. Nutritionist Philippe Besnard of the University of
Burgundy in France has found that the 10,000 taste buds on the tongue
seem to include a type that specifically responds to the flavor of fat.
If confirmed, it would be only the sixth known type, joining those that
sense sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory (also known as umami).
Besnard uncovered the fat sensor in the tongues of genetically
engineered mice that lacked the ability to make a protein called CD36.
Mice normally have a yen for fatty foods, but the altered animals
showed no preference for the stuff. Furthermore, regular mice release
fat-digesting secretions in their bowel and ramp up intestinal fat
absorption as soon as they taste fat; the modified mice displayed no
such response. Apparently, CD36 is the key protein that allows certain
mouse taste buds to respond to fat. Humans, whose sense of taste works
almost exactly like that of mice, almost certainly have the same taste
bud.
From an evolutionary perspetive, having a fat bud is a big advantage.
It causes animals to crav and consume high-calorie fatty foods and then
prompts their bodies to quickly and efficiently digest the fats,
storing away an energy reserve for times of starvation. If scinetists
can find a way to develop non-fattening foods that latch onto the fat
receptors, they may be able at long last to develop fat-free snacks
that can actually trick the tongue.

Discover magazine/ Feb. 2006 issue