TRANS- FATS: CONFUSED BODY CHEMISTRY leading to Inflammation!

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TRANS- FATS: CONFUSED BODY CHEMISTRY leading to Inflammation!

JoAnn Guest Dec 18, 2004 11:50 PST

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TRANS- FATS: CONFUSED BODY CHEMISTRY

 

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Naturally-occurring fatty acids contain double bonds of a particular

configuration, referred to as " cis- " by biochemists. The cis- causes

the molecules to be bent so that the two hydrogen atoms are on the

same side of the double bond.

 

This means the bonds between the molecules are weaker due to their

irregular shape, resulting in a lower melting point - or, in

supermarket shopper lingo, they are solid at room temperature.

 

Fats with either trans- double bonds or no bonds ( " saturated " ) are solid

 

at room temperature.

 

Margarine is made by adding hydrogen atoms to the fat molecules to

make them more saturated, raising the melting point of the fat so it

remains a solid at room temperature, i.e., the margarine won't run

all over the table.

 

This process, called " hydrogenation " , requires the presence of a

metal catalyst and temperatures of about 500°F (260°C) for the

reaction to take place.

 

It causes about half of the cis- bonds to

flip over into a trans- configuration.

 

Hydrogenation became popular in the US because this type of oil

doesn't spoil or become rancid as readily as regular oil and

therefore has a longer shelf-life.

 

You can leave a cube of margarine sitting out for years and it will

not be touched by moulds, insects or rodents.

 

Margarine is a non-food!

 

It would appear that only humans are foolish enough to eat it!

 

Because the fats in margarine are partially hydrogenated (i.e., not

fully saturated), the manufacturers can claim it is " polyunsaturated "

and market it to us as a healthy food.

 

Many other fatty chemicals are also created when oils are partially

hydrogenated.

 

In Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill (p. 103), Udo Erasmus stated:

 

" So many different compounds can be made during partial

hydrogenation that they stagger the imagination...

 

Needless to say, the industry is hesitant to fund or publicize thorough

and

systematic studies on the kinds of chemicals produced and their

effects on health. " 1

 

Erasmus also quoted a statement about hydrogenation, made by Herbert

Dutton, one of the oldest and most knowledgable oil chemists in

North America.

 

It basically boils down to this: because of the known

and unknown health effects of these hydrogenation by-products,

government health regulations would not allow the process to be used

for making edible products if it were to be introduced today.

 

Another 'side-effect' of hydrogenation is that a residue of

" toxic metals " , usually nickel and aluminium,

is left behind in the finished product.

 

These metals are used as catalysts in the reaction, but they

accumulate in our cells and nervous system where they poison

 

" enzyme systems " and alter " cellular functions " ,

endangering health and causing a wide variety of problems.

 

These toxic metals are difficult to 'eliminate' without special

detoxification techniques, and our 'toxic load' increases steadily

with small exposures over time.

 

Since they are increasingly found in our air, food and water, the

cumulative doses can add up to dangerous levels over time.

 

Since trans- fats don't occur in nature, our bodies don't know how

to deal with them effectively and they act as *poisons* to crucial

cellular reactions.

 

The body tries to use them as it would the cis- form, and they wind up

in cell membranes and other places they shouldn't be.

 

In recent years, measurements of trans- fats in the membranes of

human red blood cells have been as high as 20 per cent, when the

figure should be zero.

 

While red blood cells were used because they're easy to access, it's

safe to assume that most other cell

membranes in the body also contain these unnatural fats.

 

Trans- fatty acids in cell membranes " weaken " the membrane's

protective structure and function.

 

This alters normal transport of minerals and other nutrients across

the membrane and allows " disease microbes " and toxic chemicals

to 'get into' the cell more easily.

 

The result: sick, weakened cells, poor organ function and an

exhausted immune system -

 

in short, lowered resistance and increased risk of disease.

 

Trans- fats can also derail the body's normal mechanisms for

eliminating cholesterol.

 

The liver normally puts excess cholesterol in the bile and sends it to

the gall bladder, which empties into the small intestine just below the

stomach.

 

Trans- fats block the normal " conversion " of cholesterol in the liver

and contribute to 'elevated cholesterol' levels in the blood.

 

They also cause an increase in the amount of

low-density lipoproteins (LDLs),

 

considered to be one of the main instigators of

" arterial disease " (hardening of the arteries).

 

Meanwhile, trans- fats " lower " the amount of high-density

lipoproteins (HDLs)

which help 'protect' the cardiovascular system

from the adverse effects of the LDLs.

 

Trans- fats also increase the level of " apolipoprotein A " , a substance

in the blood which is another risk factor for heart disease.

 

Indeed, trans- fats have now been shown to cause even worse problems

than saturated animal fats.

 

Another adverse effect of trans- fats in the diet is an enhancement

of the body's 'pro-inflammatory " hormones (prostaglandin E2)

and

'inhibition' of the anti-inflammatory types (prostaglandin E1 and E3).

 

This undesirable influence exerted by trans- fats on " prostaglandin

balance " may render you more vulnerable

to inflammatory conditions

that don't want to heal!

 

Prostaglandins also regulate many metabolic functions.

 

Tiny amounts can cause significant changes in allergic reaction, blood

pressure,

clotting, cholesterol levels, hormone activity, immune function and

inflammatory response, to name just a few.

 

Many of these problems with trans- fats have been known or suspected

for 15 to 20 years, but have been largely ignored in the US.

 

In Europe, trans- fats are restricted in food products, and some

countries allow no more than 0.1 per cent trans- fatty acid content.

 

In contrast, margarines in the US may contain up to 30 to 50 per

cent!

 

Of course, the food industry denies there is any problem with

this.

 

Meanwhile, scientific evidence continues to mount that trans- fats

contribute to heart disease and possibly other conditions as well.

 

Even the conservative Harvard Health Letter referred to them as " the

new enemy " .

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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