Michael Pollan
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 Though red flags about trans fats can be spotted as far back as 1956, when Ancel Keyes, the father of the lipid hypothesis, suggested that rising consumption of hydrogenated
*Frank B. Hu, et al., Journal of the/American College of Nutrition, Vol. 20, 1, 5—19 (2001). vegetable oils might be responsible for the twentieth-century rise in coronary heart disease. |
| In fact, there have been dissenters to the lipid hypothesis all along, lipid biochemists like Mary Enig (who has been sounding the alarm on trans fats since the 1970s) and nutritionists like Fred Kummerow and JohnYudkin (who have been sounding the alarm on refined carbohydrates, also since the 1970s), but these critics have always had trouble getting a hearing, especially after 1977, when the McGovern guidelines effectively closed off debate on the lipid hypothesis.
Scientific paradigms are never easy to challenge, even when they begin to crack under the weight of contradictory evidence. |
| We did reduce our consumption of saturated fats, replacing them, as directed, with polyunsaturated fats and trans fats. Meat consumption actually held steady, though we did, again as instructed, shift from red meat to white to reduce our saturated fat intake. Basically what we did was heap a bunch more carbs onto our plate, obscuring but by no means replacing the expanding chunk of (now skinless white) animal protein still sitting there in the middle.
How did that happen? |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 In theory, trans fats are being used less lately because of both bad press about their dangers and new label regulations that took effect in January 2006.)
The report concludes: "Whether by intention or not, current farm policy has directed food industry investment into producing low-cost, processed foods high in added fats and sugars. These foods are often more available and more affordable than fresher, healthier choices and, not coincidentally, U.S. consumers are now eating many more added sweeteners and oils than is healthy. |
| We banned foods with high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, got rid of processed foods, and replaced most vendors," Cooper says. "We cook from scratch, serve fresh fruits and vegetables, and put in salad bars. The kids are getting real food."
New York City: Chef Changes Palates with Bold, Fresh Flavors
Miso soup. Salmon. Steamed asparagus. Basmati brown rice. Fresh fruit. Salad bar. That's a typical menu at New York City's private Calhoun School since 2002, thanks to world-class chef Robert Surles ("Chef Bobo"). |
| Now, he wants to eliminate trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup. Bringing in organic produce is also "on the radar screen."
Fortunately, overseeing an estimated $125 million-a-year food budget brings clout. Explains SchoolFood's executive director David Berkowitz: "Manufacturers are anxious to sell to New York City because many school districts throughout the country are following what we're doing, pushing the envelope to improve the nutrition of products in their schools. |
Michael Pollan
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| So now the trans fats are gone, and margarine marches on, unfazed and apparently unkillable. Too bad the same cannot be said of an unknown number of margarine eaters.
By now we have become so inured to fake foods that we forget what a difficult trail margarine had to blaze before it and other synthetic food products could win government and consumer acceptance. |
Michele Simon
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 Carlos Camargo of the Harvard Medical School and a member of the dietary guidelines committee said he was "disappointed" that the experts' unanimous recommendation to limit trans fats to 1 percent of calories was completely omitted from the final document.3 Instead, we are told to simply "limit intake" of trans fat.
Why the change? Food Politics author Marion Nesde explains: "Trans fat was left vague because otherwise they would have to say where trans fats nrc—in processed foods. |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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 Article from the National Center of Complementary and Alterative Medicine
"What Makes Us Stick to Our Bad Habits"
Bev Betkowski, University of Alberta Medical News Today (November 9, 2006)
"New York City Passes trans fats Ban"
MSN Health & Fitness (December 5, 2006)
Restaurants must eliminate artery-clogging ingredient by July 2008.
Chapter Two
The Prescription Drug Disaster
A drug may be on the market for up to five years before we learn about its harmful effects, while making you and millions of Americans human guinea pigs. |
| Trans fats are created through a man-made process called "hydrogenation" by heating vegetable oil with hydrogen gas and certain metals to create a more solid form of fat. The process was designed for the purpose of food preservation in baked goods, to give cooking oils a longer life and to improve the texture of foods containing the product. |
| The killer is that partially hydrogenated oil is laden with deadly trans fats that can cause fat clogs in our arteries by actually increasing our low-density lipoproteins (LDL or bad cholesterol) while possibly lowering the high-density lipoproteins (HDL or good cholesterol).
According to epidemiologists at Harvard University, "By our most conservative estimate, replacement of partially hydrogenated fat in the U.S. |
| In fact, the city of New York has banned all trans fats from restaurants. That local municipalities have to take matters into their hands because the federal government, with its vast resources, research and information, fails to act is a glaring example that our government is not truly committed to enhancing our health. During my research, I stumbled across the Web site www.BanTransFats.com, and I got in touch with the founder and president Stephen L. Joseph, who provided information on this subject. If you want to know more about this important issue, visit this Web site. |
Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George
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 Governments are beginning to take action on trans fats, which are mainly produced through a process of hydrogenation (an industrial process whereby oil is heated to a high temperature and treated with hydrogen to improve shelf life of foods) and are present in margarine, vegetable shortening, ice cream, puddings, cakes, biscuits, pizzas, pies, potato chips, doughnuts, and other processed foods. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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 Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
Meet recommended intakes within energy needs by adopting a balanced eating pattern, such as the USDA Food Guide or the DASH Eating Plan.
To maintain body weight in a healthy range, balance calories from foods and beverages with calories expended. To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity. |
Michele Simon
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| Food Politics author Marion Nesde explains: "Trans fat was left vague because otherwise they would have to say where trans fats nrc—in processed foods."4 In wording that Nestle calls "incomprehensible," the consumer-friendly guidelines brochure recommends that you "look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats"—the two most common artery-clogging fats in the supermarket. Why would the government tell you to "look for" foods that you really should avoid altogether? Because it cannot say: don't eat too many of the major sources of saturated fats: meat, cheese, milk, and eggs. |
Jack Challem
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 Today, the average American eats twenty to thirty times more omega-6s than omega-3s, as well as substantial amounts of trans fats. As a result, the omega-3s are virtually nonexistent in many people's diets, contributing to depression and other mood disorders. High intake of the omega-6s increases the risk of depression, whereas many studies have found that omega-3 fish oil supplements are helpful in treating depression. They also function as a mild blood thinner and a regulator of heart rhythm. |
Bottom Line Health
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| To learn more about trans fats, visit the — US Food and Drug Administration Web site at www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/transfat. Click on "What Every Consumer Should Know About Trans Fatty Acids."
Beware of These Dangerous Food—Drug Combinations
Earl Mindell, RPh, PhD, emeritus professor of nutrition, Pacific Western University, Los Angeles, and a director of the corporate board, Illinois College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is author of Natural Remedies for 150 Ailments (Basic Health) and Bottom Line's Prescription Alternatives (Bottom Line). |
| MARGARINE
Margarines do have significantly less saturated fat and cholesterol than butter, so a non-hycirogenated (no trans fats) margarine is a healthy alternative. It certainly is cheaper than butter. But if you are not eating much of either, this decision isn't going to have a major effect on your health. Personally, I prefer butter. I just don't eat much of it. |
| Bottom line: If you like margarine, choose one with no trans fats.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved artificial sweeteners because there is no compelling evidence that they cause harm at current levels of intake. But I am not a fan of them. I can't believe any food that has that kind of chemical taste can be good for you. Their single virtue is the absence of calories, but there is not much evidence that their use has helped people lose weight. Perhaps people who use them compensate by eating more calories from other sources. |
| THE MAKING OF TRANS FATTY ACIDS
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fats, are solid fats that are produced artificially by a process known as partial hydrogenation.
Background: In the 1980s, many restaurants and food manufacturers switched to using vegetable oils, such as soybean, corn and canola, when the lard, butter and beef fat that were typically used for cooking were found to be high in saturated fat, which increases the risk for obesity and heart disease. |
| Eating establishments are exempt from the new trans fat labeling laws, but fast-food restaurants are among the worst offenders.
Example: A typical apple Danish from a doughnut shop contains approximately 2.7 g of trans fats.. .two vegetable spring rolls from a Chinese restaurant contain 1.7 g...five chicken nuggets and a large order of french fries from a fast-food restaurant contain nearly 4 g and 7 g, respectively.. .a piece of baked apple pie can contain 4.5 g. |
| Because official serving sizes are often un-realistically small, it would be easy to consume several servings a day of products that have less than 0.5 g of trans fat, resulting in a significant intake during the course of a week.
Example: Benecol, a soft-spread substitute for margarine or butter, is advertised as promoting heart health by lowering cholesterol. It does this—but it also contains "less than" 0.5 g of trans fats per tablespoon. |
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
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 It would be far simpler—and clearer—to advise people to avoid animal-based products (the source of all cholesterol and most saturated fat) and also to avoid products labeled "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated," since these contain the most harmful trans fats.
4. USDA recommendation: "Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils."
This recommendation is of major concern. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 They do this by hiding ingredients (such as hiding MSG in yeast extract, or by fiddling with serving sizes so they can claim the food is trans fat free, even when it contains trans fats (the new Girl Scout cookies use this trick).
Besides avoiding these foods, what else can consumers do to reduce their risk of cancer? The main things are simple: Eat unprocessed foods and base your diet largely on plants. Consume foods that have omega-3 fats and other essential fatty acids. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables; many common ones have known cancer-fighting properties. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 As with triglycerides, you can improve your HDL levels by making modifications to your diet, especially by including healthy fats (such as monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids), avoiding trans fats (discussed in chapters 5 and 6), exercising, drinking only moderate amounts of alcohol (one to two glasses of red wine daily is acceptable), maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. You may be surprised, for example, that something as simple as adding walnuts to your diet each day can improve your HDL levels. |
Hyla Cass
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 Avoid margarine and other sources of trans fats. Use olive or macadamia nut oils for cooking. Add herbs and spices with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant punch such as curry powder, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, and garlic to your food as often as possible.
?Sip green tea once or twice a day. Try one of the many available varieties of green tea, which has strong antioxidant properties. A glass of red wine once a day is also heart healthy and full of antioxidants, as long as it doesn't interact with your medicines.
?Eat. . . chocolate? |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Think about this for a minute: these are foods that contain trans fatty acids, and a heart association is still telling people it's fine to eat these foods. trans fats are poison to the cardiovascular system and the heart. Why would any health association advise anyone to eat foods containing trans fatty acids? The answer, of course, is because these associations earn money by licensing their logos and recommendations to processed food manufacturers. Anything for a buck, it seems. |
Dan Buettner
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 Robert Butler say that when establishing a diet, it's important to balance calories between complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, minimizing trans fats, saturated fats, and salt.
"The key is taking in what you need and avoiding the extremes," explains Dr. Kane. "You could go to a nonanimal diet, but an awful lot of vegetarians take in more cholesterol through cheeses and milk and various products than they ever would take in eating meat at a modest level." Oddly, pork was common to three of the four Blue Zones diets. But it was not eaten regularly. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| The essential fatty acids that the hydrogenation process removes are responsible for a number of processes in your body. When trans fats replace these essential fatty acids, they occupy the same space without doing the same job. The "anchor" portion of the fatty acid is in place (which is how the body recognizes the fatty acid and puts it to work) but the chemically active part of the fatty acid is twisted, distorted, and missing vital parts.
After the hydrogenation process, the fatty acid can't biochemically function in the same way. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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| For example, the USDA and HHS make vague, unspecific suggestions like "choose foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners" or "limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol."
Rather, critics argue, the USDA and HHS guidelines should be more specific about which foods and beverages we should choose and how much we should limit other foods and drinks. |
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