trans fat mary enig article

[Guest guest]

Folks talking to others about trans fats with all the news might find this

helpful.

Chris

<A HREF= " http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/FatFacts.htm " >Price-Pottenger

Nutrition Foundation</A>

Fat Facts: Trans Fats and Saturated Fats Are Not the Same

By G. Enig, PhD

The dangers of trans fatty acids in the food supply have been the subject of

several recent articles in the major newspapers. Unfortunately, these articles

are filled with misinformation, particularly regarding the role of saturated

fats in the human diet.

For example, Rekha Balu, writing for the Wall Street Journal states that

trans fats are like saturated fats “which raise bad cholesterol, causing a

buildup

of fatty deposits in the arteries.â€(1) Lynn Roblin, writing for the Toronto

Star, advises consumers to avoid trans fats by consuming more vegetable oils,

such as olive oil and canola oil, in preference to butter and coconut oil.(2)

Harvard nutritionist Hu, featured in an article for the Washington Post,

says butter is better than stick margarine, but tub or liquid margarine made

from commercial vegetable oils is “a more healthful choice than butter.â€(3)

Trans fatty acids have similar properties to saturated fatty acids when used

in baked goods, but the assertion that trans fatty acids are like saturated

fatty acid is not correct in biological systems. A listing of the biological

effects of saturated fatty acids in the diet versus the biological effects of

trans fatty acids in the diet is in actuality a listing of the good (saturated)

versus the not-so-good (trans).

Note that: (1) saturated fatty acids raise HDL, the so-called good

cholesterol, whereas the trans fatty acids lower HDL cholesterol; (2) saturated

fatty

acids lower the blood levels of the atherogenic lipoprotein (a), whereas trans

fatty acids raise the blood levels of Lp(a); (3) saturated fatty acids conserve

the good omega-3 fatty acids whereas trans fatty acids cause the tissues to

lose the good omega-3 fatty acids; (4) saturated fatty acids do not inhibit

insulin binding whereas trans fatty acids do inhibit insulin binding; (5)

saturated fatty acids are the normal fatty acids made by the body and they do

not

interfere with enzyme functions such as the delta-6-desaturase, whereas trans

fatty acids are not made by the body and they interfere with many enzyme

functions such as delta-6-desaturase; (6) some saturated fatty acids are used by

the

body to fight viruses, bacteria and protozoa and they support the immune system

whereas trans fatty acids interfere with the function of the immune system;

(7) stearic acid, a naturally saturated fatty acid, is the preferred food for

the heart whereas trans fatty acids replace these saturated fatty acids in the

cell membrane, thus depriving the heart of its optimum energy source; (8)

saturated fatty acids are needed for proper modeling of calcium in the bones

whereas trans fatty acids cause softening of the bones; and (9) saturated fatty

acids from animal sources are carriers for vital fat-soluble vitamins whereas

factory-produced trans fatty acids are devoid of these important nutrients.

We should take every precaution to exclude trans fatty acids from the diet.

But when we exclude saturated fats from our diets as well, the calories are

replaced by other calories in the form of polyunsaturated fatty acids from

commercial vegetable oils, monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil or canola

oil,

protein or carbohydrates. Excess polyunsaturates have been shown to

contribute to heart disease, cancer, weight gain and many other health problems.

Excess

oleic acid can contribute to prostaglandin imbalance and weight gain, while

canola oil causes vitamin E deficiency and other problems. Excess protein leads

to deficiencies in the fat soluble vitamins, can be a strain on the kidneys

and will be turned into fats if protein intake exceeds requirements. Excess

carbohydrates are also turned into fats! So any foods in excess will be turned

into fats, but none except the animal fats carries the fat-soluble nutrients so

important for overall good health.

The food manufacturers will not willingly return to using naturally saturated

fats such as coconut oil, palm oil, butter, tallow and lard because they are

more expensive. Only a concerted demand by educated consumers will bring

healthy traditional fats back into the American food supply.

References

Rekha Balu, “Trans Fat: Taste Buds Cry ‘Yes!’ but Arteries Demur,†The

Wall

Street Journal, June 8, 1998

Lynn Roblin, “Not all fats are created equal,†The Toronto Star Health Talk,

June 24, 1998

Fred Tasker, “A Churning Controversy,†The Washington Post Health, June 2,

1997

[Guest guest]

Chris-

It's a very good article, of course, but it would be a lot more useful if

her points were all referenced.

>Folks talking to others about trans fats with all the news might find this

>helpful.

-