In a four-month study at the University of Alberta presented in March at a scientific meeting, obese rats fed a diet enriched with vaccenic acid -- a naturally occurring trans fat found in milk and yogurt -- had significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL (or "bad") cholesterol and triglycerides.
The researchers reported that a key benefit of vaccenic acid is its ability to reduce the production of chylomicrons -- small particles of fat, protein and cholesterol formed in the gut that transport fats to various tissues of the body.