Trans Fatty Acids and the Heart

[ZECH]

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/Transfat.htm

They're everywhere, and they may be worse than lard
Recent studies have suggested that trans fatty acids have a deleterious effect on cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, and point out that we're eating far more of these evil fats than we should, and far more than we used to.
What are trans fatty acids, and where do they come from?
We're used to hearing about saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids - which come from animal fats (meat, lard, dairy products) as well as tropical oils such as coconut and palm oils - raise the levels of LDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fats - which come from vegetable oils - in general, do not increase cholesterol levels, and may reduce them.
Because saturated fatty acids were found to be bad for you a couple decades ago, the food industry wanted to switch to using unsaturated fatty acids.

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Unfortunately, unsaturated fatty acids become rancid relatively quickly. To combat the instability of unsaturated fatty acids, manufacturers began to "hydrogenate" them, a process that makes them more stable. The result was a more solid and longer lasting form of vegetable oil, called "partially hydrogenated" oil.
Unfortunately, when unsaturated vegetable fats are subjected to the process of hydrogenation, a new type of fatty acid is formed. This new type of fatty acid is called trans fatty acid. So when manufacturers began substituting partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for saturated fats in processed foods, they began adding - for the first time - relatively large amounts of trans fatty acids to the typical diet.

So what's the problem with trans fatty acids?
Trans fatty acids turn out to increase total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels, and to reduce HDL cholesterol levels. In other words, trans fatty acids are detrimental to cardiac health.
Which is worse - saturated fatty acids or trans unsaturated fatty acids?
Both saturated fats and trans fatty acids are bad for you. Saturated fats are almost always found in foods that also contain cholesterol, so saturated fats offer a "one-two" punch to heart health. On the other hand, trans fatty acids not only increase LDL cholesterol, they also decrease HDL cholesterol. So while nobody can say yet definitively which is worse, it does appear that both are bad.
Which foods contain trans fatty acids?
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to identify foods that contain relatively large amounts of trans fatty acids: margarines (the more solid the margarine, the more the trans fatty acids; stick margarines contain the most, tub margarines contain less, and semi-liquid margarines contain the least high-fat baked goods (especially doughnuts, cookies and cakes and any product for which the label says "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" (which, it sadly appears, includes virtually all processed foods.) DrRich is particularly distressed to point out that trans fatty acids absolutely lace his two favorite food groups: french fries and potato chips. (This tragic warning also includes corn chips and many crackers.)
Well, darn it, what are the good fats?
Unsaturated vegetable oils from canola, peanuts, olive, flax, corn, safflower and sunflower (as long as they have not been subjected to the process of hydrogenation) are heart healthy. These oils contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids that can reduce total cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels. These oils also contain the essential fatty acids - specific fatty acids necessary for life but which the body cannot make itself. (These include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.)
So what is the health-conscious consumer to do?
There are three basic steps to reducing the amount of "bad" fat in the diet and substituting "good" fat. First, avoid the saturated fatty acids found in meat and dairy products, as well as the tropical oils (palm and coconut.) Second, avoid trans fatty acids by steering clear of commercially fried foods, high-fat baked goods, and stick margarines. Third, whenever possible substitute one of the natural unsaturated vegetable oils, listed above, in recipes calling for stick margarine, butter, or lard.

 

[DOMS]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fats

 

[SPIKE1257]

In other words, stay away from trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils) completly..

 

[monkeyd]

I agree that trans fat should be eliminated completely, but I have to flat out disagree that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol are bad for you. It isn't even that simple, depends on whether the cholesterol is oxidized or not too. I also strongly disagree with the constant touting of unsaturated vegetable oils as some kind of saviour, I think it's quite the opposite (talking about excessive omega 6, canola oil, corn oil etc.. obviously we all know and love our omega 3's and 9's flax, olive oil etc).

I suggest everyone goes and reads:

http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/skinny.html

But for the unadventurous:

The benefits of saturated fats
The much-maligned saturated fats???which Americans are trying to avoid???are not the cause of our modern diseases. In fact, they play many important roles in the body chemistry:

Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes. They are what gives our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.


They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats should be saturated.38


They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease.39 They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol.40


They enhance the immune system.41


They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.
Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats. 42


Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated.43 The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.


Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.
The scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the assertion that "artery-clogging" saturated fats cause heart disease.44 Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated.45

What about cholesterol?
And what about cholesterol? Here, too, the public has been misinformed. Our blood vessels can become damaged in a number of ways???through irritations caused by free radicals or viruses, or because they are structurally weak???and when this happens, the body's natural healing substance steps in to repair the damage. That substance is cholesterol. Cholesterol is a high-molecular-weight alcohol that is manufactured in the liver and in most human cells. Like saturated fats, the cholesterol we make and consume plays many vital roles:

Along with saturated fats, cholesterol in the cell membrane gives our cells necessary stiffness and stability. When the diet contains an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, these replace saturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, so that the cell walls actually become flabby. When this happens, cholesterol from the blood is "driven" into the tissues to give them structural integrity. This is why serum cholesterol levels may go down temporarily when we replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated oils in the diet.46


Cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer; and to the sex hormones like androgen, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.


Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, a very important fat-soluble vitamin needed for healthy bones and nervous system, proper growth, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production, reproduction and immune system function.


The bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion and assimilation of fats in the diet.


Recent research shows that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant.47 This is the likely explanation for the fact that cholesterol levels go up with age. As an antioxidant, cholesterol protects us against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer.


Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain.48 Serotonin is the body's natural "feel-good" chemical. Low cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, depression and suicidal tendencies.


Mother's milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a special enzyme that helps the baby utilize this nutrient. Babies and children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system.


Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall.49 This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.
Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease but rather a potent antioxidant weapon against free radicals in the blood, and a repair substance that helps heal arterial damage (although the arterial plaques themselves contain very little cholesterol.) However, like fats, cholesterol may be damaged by exposure to heat and oxygen. This damaged or oxidized cholesterol seems to promote both injury to the arterial cells as well as a pathological buildup of plaque in the arteries.50 Damaged cholesterol is found in powdered eggs, in powdered milk (added to reduced-fat milks to give them body) and in meats and fats that have been heated to high temperatures in frying and other high-temperature processes.

High serum cholesterol levels often indicate that the body needs cholesterol to protect itself from high levels of altered, free-radical-containing fats. Just as a large police force is needed in a locality where crime occurs frequently, so cholesterol is needed in a poorly nourished body to protect the individual from a tendency to heart disease and cancer. Blaming coronary heart disease on cholesterol is like blaming the police for murder and theft in a high crime area.

Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) will often result in high cholesterol levels. When thyroid function is poor, usually due to a diet high in sugar and low in usable iodine, fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients, the body floods the blood with cholesterol as an adaptive and protective mechanism, providing a superabundance of materials needed to heal tissues and produce protective steroids. Hypothyroid individuals are particularly susceptible to infections, heart disease and cancer.51

 

[ZECH]

You are brainwashed by DP aren't you??

 

[monkeyd]

Not really, I won't believe anything anyone says without doing a lot of reading and research to find out. DP would be the first to tell you I ask a lot of scientific questions and want to know the whys and wherefores behind certain ideas.

The fact is, I believe Mary Enig PhD, and Sally Fallon. I have a masters chemistry degree from Oxford too, and so I read what they say in the context of what I have learnt (admittedly it wasn't a biochem degree, but I know a little), and it makes a lot of sense to me. My point is, I'm not a blind sheep.

 

[ZECH]

and so I read what they say in the context of what I have learnt (admittedly it wasn't a biochem degree, but I know a little)

LOL, obviously it wasn't in grammer I agree though with the research. There is still alot we don't know about saturated fats and how it affects the body. I agree we need healthy fats (flax oil, fish oil), but I'm not convinced on the saturated fats yet.

 

[monkeyd]

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutspelling/learnt

you must be American ?

To me, it's also spelt GrammAr but let's not get petty eh?

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/grammar

 

[ZECH]

LMAO................Hell I never said I had a Degree in Grammar either!!
Nope not pissy...........
Yep, I'm in North Carolina. I actually say learnt sometime and people think it's the southern redneck slang

 

[monkeyd]

no probs dude

 

[ZECH]

 

[DOMS]

Bullocks all that!