Guest guest Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Article below is about hydrogentated oils = trans fats. Train off the Track ******************************* > > Dear Reader, > > Comparing the healthfulness of trans fatty acids (TFA) to other > types of fat is sort of like comparing cigarette smoking to nail > biting: they're both bad habits, but one of them just might lead to > an early demise. > > In a recent telephone survey of consumer attitudes about nutrition, > 1,000 people called at random were asked which was healthier; > saturated fats or trans fatty acids. After two decades of media hype > about low-fat diets, I wasn't really surprised to see that 40 percent > said trans fatty acids are healthier than saturated fats. > > Even so, I would have thought by now that a much larger > percentage of the population might have gotten the news that an > intake of trans fatty acids is only slightly healthier than your > average train wreck. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > A little is a lot > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Trans fats are created by the hydrogenation of vegetable oil; a > process that gives the oil a longer shelf life and makes it less. > well, oily. These qualities also make hydrogenated vegetable oil an > appealing choice for " quick service " restaurants and snack foods > such as cookies, crackers, and chips. But many studies over the > past decade have shown trans-fatty acids to be associated with > artery damage and a high risk of heart disease. > > And that's only part of what makes TFA dangerous. > > In a review article published in the American Journal of Clinical > Nutrition, nutritionists at the Harvard School of Public Health > wrote that trans fats inhibit the natural process by which alpha- > linolenic acid is converted into EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty > acids that are critical to so many facets of good health. And in a > study of more than 800 subjects conducted at Chicago's Rush > University Medical Centre, seniors who had a high trans fat intake > were found to be twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease > compared to those with the lowest intake. > > But how high is a high intake? > > Bruce Holub, a professor of nutritional sciences at Canada's > University of Guelph, told the Toronto Globe and Mail that > ingesting a daily gram of trans fat over several years is enough to > significantly boost your risk of heart disease. And professor Holub > points out that as few as two crackers can contain an entire gram of > TFA. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Go figure > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Last year the FDA announced that by January 2006 all Nutrition > Facts panels must list trans fat content. But until then, there's a > relatively simple way to figure out the TFA content of processed > foods. > > First check the list of ingredients. If the product contains > hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, that's obviously > your first trans fat tip-off. > > Next go to the Nutrition Facts panel where you'll see grams of > " Total Fat " listed. Below that, the fats will be broken down into > saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. If the " Total > Fat " number is higher than the other three combined, the difference > between the two totals equals the grams-per-serving of trans fat. > > Some products, however, aren't required to list monounsaturated > and polyunsaturated fats. In that case, if the grams of " Total Fat " > are higher than the grams of " Saturated Fat, " it's time to go back to > the list of ingredients. If " hydrogenated " appears high on the list of > ingredients, you're definitely getting some trans fat. If > " hydrogenated " appears lower on the list, the trans fat content is > probably low. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Pop test > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Let's take a look at a popular brand of " natural light " microwave > popcorn. Total fat is 5 grams, saturated fat is one gram, and no > other fats are listed. So with 4 fat grams unaccounted for, we check > the ingredients and find only three items, in this order: popcorn, > partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and salt. That's a pretty good > indication that you're getting at least a gram or two of trans fat, > and maybe even four. > > But be sure to also check the serving size. This 3-ounce bag of > popcorn claims to be 2.5 servings. So if you sit down and eat the > whole bag, you might end up getting well over 4 grams of trans fat. > > And because trans fat is present in so many food products, it's easy > to see how you could pick up a dozen or more grams every day > without even trying. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Zip, nada, goose egg. > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > In the e-Alert " The New Big Oil " (8/20/02) I told you about a 2002 > report from a National Academy of Sciences panel that attempted > to set a safe intake level for trans-fatty acids. The report confirmed > previous findings about the relationship of trans-fatty acids and the > risk of heart disease, and concluded with this recommendation: > " The only safe intake of trans-fat is zero. " > > Every day we're seeing more and more products claiming to be > " trans fat free. " Hopefully this will help that last 40 percent of > consumers catch on to the dangers of TFA. The result will be > better health for millions. > > ************************************************************** > > ...and another thing > > I've never liked the smell of clothes that have just been picked up > from the dry cleaners. And now I know why. Behind that " fresh " > fragrance there's an unmistakable chemical aroma that can cause > headaches, nausea, memory loss, and possibly even cancer. > > Perchloroethylene (often called " perc " ) is the toxic chemical > solvent that does the cleaning in dry cleaning. Studies have shown > that perc is a carcinogen, which may affect major organs, as well > as the central nervous system. > > One study found that a bag of dry cleaning left inside a car for only > fifteen minutes permeated the air inside the car with 350 parts per > million of perc. (100 parts per million is considered the maximum > safe level.) > > The solution? Just put dry cleaning in the trunk for the ride home, > and then remove clothes from the bag and hang them up in an open > area like a porch, patio, or garage to allow them to air out. If you > put the clothes directly into a closet, the fumes can collect in the > confined space and be absorbed by other clothes. > > Another alternative is " wet cleaning " - a specialty service that's > offered by more and more dry cleaners. Using milder soaps, > washing machines with controlled agitation, and dryers that can > control humidity levels, many " dry clean only " garments can be > wet cleaned. > > The use of perc has been phased out in some countries, such as > Canada, Japan and Germany, and we may see the day when > commercial cleaners in the U.S. stop using it too. Until then, we'll > have to take matters into our own hands - or car trunks as the case > may be. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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