Although scientists have long known that a high-fat diet is detrimental to cardiovascular health, a new study has shed new light on some of the mechanisms behind this type of damage.

A researcher from the University of Illinois has found that trans fats – which are abundantly present in processed foods such as margarine – interfere with multiple enzymes that are key to the regulation of blood flow.

The study showed that in addition to interfering with the production of arachidonic acid from linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), trans fats also reduce the amount of prostacyclin needed to keep blood flowing. As a result, blood clots may develop more easily, leading to life-threatening complications such as stroke.

Authored by professor emeritus of veterinary biosciences Fred Kummerow, the research appears in the August 2009 issue of the international journal Atherosclerosis.

Kummerow, who is 94, has spent six decades studying lipid biochemistry, and is a vocal advocate for a ban on trans fats in foods.

“The industry would be helped by an FDA ban on trans fat that would save labeling costs, medical costs and lives,” he believes.

Those who would like to change their lifestyle and improve their eating habits may consider the alkaline diet.

It is rich in rich in citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes and may boost bone health into old age.