A food-processing lab converts some cis unsaturated fats to trans isomers via partial hydrogenation. Which chain-level mechanistic consequences best explain why partially hydrogenated oils increase cardiovascular risk compared to the original cis-rich oil?

• A. Partial hydrogenation reduces total carbon number, so the resulting fatty acids are shorter and are preferentially oxidized to ketone bodies, increasing cardiovascular risk via increased ketogenesis.
• B. Trans isomers are more linear and pack tightly, raising LDL cholesterol and promoting arterial plaque formation; they also resist enzymatic degradation and accumulate in tissues, disrupting normal lipid signaling and metabolism.
• C. Partial hydrogenation increases cis double bonds which bend the chain, resulting in increased HDL cholesterol and rapid enzymatic clearance from tissues.
• D. Trans isomers become polyunsaturated and therefore increase eicosanoid synthesis directly causing atherosclerotic lesions in the absence of any change in lipoprotein profile.

Answer: (B)