Margarine, Fatty Acids and Your Health

[Guest guest]

Margar. ine, Fatty Acids and Your Health

 

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/margarine.html

 

To maintain good health it is important that we have the correct

intake of omega fatty acids in our diets. Hydrogenated fats like

margarine are non-foods with toxic effects and should be avoided at

any cost.

 

 

Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 4, #2 (February-March 1997).

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. edi-@n...

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

From our web page at:

www.nexusmagazine.com

 

by Dane A. Roubos, D.C. ©1995-97

5554 Nantucket Place

Minnetonka, MN 55345, USA

 

This article was extracted in part from Blazing Tattles,

vol. 5, nos 10 and 11, 1996, and further updated by the author.

 

Blazing Tattles!,

PO Box 1073, Half Moon Bay,

CA 94019 USA.

Email: blaz-@i...

www.concentric.net/~blazingt

---

 

 

 

HEALTH FOOD LABELS MAY DECEIVE

 

Have you ever spent extra money to purchase a 'higher-quality'

health food or vitamin product, only to discover some time later

that it wasn't all it was claimed to be?

 

It has happened in our family more than once. Our most recent

experience was with a line of vegetable oils sold in health food

stores and co-ops.

The attractively labelled bottles touted their special processing

techniques, implying low temperatures and the superior quality of

their product.

 

We had used their canola oil for many years when I decided to write

the company with some questions and request information on their

oils.

 

We were shocked to find out that the " cold-pressed " and " lightly

refined " canola oil was subjected to the same high temperatures

(450°-500° Fahrenheit, or 232°-260° Celsius) and most of the

chemical processing steps suffered by regular grocery store oils!

 

The main difference was that they didn't use chemical solvents to

extract the oil from the seeds or add preservatives or defoamer.

 

Disappointed, and determined to find a source of healthy oils for my

family, I began a search for accurate information on the production

of food oils to supplement my scanty knowledge. This article is the

culmination of that exploration to date, and will provide you with

information you need to make healthier selections of foods and oils

for your family.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF FATTY ACIDS

Fatty acids are essential for our cells to function normally and

stay alive. The cell membranes allow the passage of necessary

minerals and molecules in and out of our cells.

 

Healthy cell membranes discourage dangerous chemicals and organisms

like bacteria, viruses, moulds and parasites from entering the cell.

 

These membranes also maintain chemical " receptor " sites

for 'hormones', the body's crucial messengers.

 

Fatty acids are involved in countless chemical processes in our

bodies and are used as building blocks for certain hormones.

 

Two types of fatty acids - omega-3 and omega-6 - cannot be made by

our bodies and therefore must be obtained through our diets. They

are called " essential fatty acids " (EFAs), and if we have an

adequate supply we can use these EFAs to manufacture the other fatty

acids we need.

 

EFA supplementation has been helpful to many people with allergies,

anaemia, arthritis, cancer, candida, depression, diabetes,

endometriosis, dry skin, eczema, fatigue, heart disease,

inflammation, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS),

psoriasis, sluggish metabolism, viral infections, etc., and in

easing the addiction recovery process.

 

TRANS- FATS AND CONFUSED CHEMISTRY

 

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 " .

 

VESTED INTERESTS

According to Russell Jaffe, M.D., a noted medical researcher, hog

farmers will not feed trans- fats to their animals because the pigs

will die if they eat them.

 

When Dr Jaffe contacted the US Department of Agriculture, he found

that it knew all about this but was not interested in the possible

human effects since this area was not under its jurisdiction.

 

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) hasn't done anything about

it, either. The fact that the food industry has succeeded in keeping

a lid on public awareness of these facts is testimony to the

political power it wields in governmental and scientific circles.

 

The food industry funds a great deal of research. People in the

research community know that you can often predict the outcome of a

study if you know who is funding it.

 

In that light, it's unwise to accept blindly the press releases

on 'the latest research' without considering who paid for it. There

are some rather scientific-sounding foundations out there that are

basically 'front' organisations for the food industry.

 

FATS IN OUR DIETS

Margarine isn't the only grocery store item with a significant

amount of trans- fats. Any 'food' that lists " hydrogenated "

or " partially hydrogenated " on the label contains trans- fats and

should be avoided.

 

You may be surprised to discover how many products in your kitchen

contain trans- fats. They include most baked goods such as bread and

crackers, shortenings like margarine and Crisco, refined vegetable

oils and most brands of peanut butter.

 

Most peanut butter brands contain hydrogenated oils, sugar and corn

syrup which stresses the pancreas and is easily converted to fat by

the body.

 

So be sure to read the labels on packaged foods and avoid those with

hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil!

 

Also avoid products containing cottonseed oil.

 

Cotton is not considered a food crop and is heavily sprayed with

highly toxic pesticides - some of which wind up in the oil.

 

According to Dr Jaffe, cottonseed oil also contains toxic fatty

acids similar to those present in rape seed oil about 30 years ago

and suspected of causing several deaths before being taken off the

market. These fatty acids caused illness when fed to dogs and pigs.

 

Cottonseed oil is commonly used to fry potato chips, and is found in

nuts and numerous other processed foods.

 

Currently, the dominant medical opinion is that fats are bad for us

and should be restricted in our diets. Given the types of fats

usually consumed in America, this is probably a good idea.

 

But several studies have shown that the quantity of fat is not as

important as the quality of fat and the balance of the fats in

relation to each other.

 

In fact, the essential fatty acids (mentioned earlier) help control

the types of cholesterol made by the body and help prevent heart

disease. So, reducing saturated fats and unnatural trans- fats in

our diets, while increasing the essential fats, would be a more

prudent policy. Many scientists are now advocating this shift in

emphasis.

 

Edward Siguel, M.D., Ph.D., is an award-winning researcher who was

invited to investigate fatty acids in the Framingham Cardiovascular

Offspring Study. He recently authored a book, Essential Fatty Acids

in Health and Disease.4 Dr Siguel has developed a sensitive test to

determine the amounts of the various fatty acids found in humans,

and has found a definite correlation with trans- fats and heart

disease.

 

He has also found that many people with heart disease have low

levels of EFAs. In a presentation at the Second Annual Symposium on

Functional Medicine in 1994, he stated that insufficiency of EFAs

may underlie many of the chronic diseases prevalent in Western

societies.

 

He also cautioned that low-fat diets not based on whole foods might

be hazardous: " Individuals who maintain normal or low body-weight by

eating low-calorie, low-fat, processed foods, such as supermarket

cereals, breads and pasta, are at high risk for EFA

insufficiency...compounded by the use of hydrogenated oils, leading

to elevated levels of circulating trans- fatty acids... "

 

The breast milk of many US mothers also shows an excess of trans-

fats and low omega-3 fatty acid content.

 

Dr Donald Rudin, in his co-authored book, The Omega-3 Phenomenon,

stated: " American mothers produce milk that often has only one-fifth

to one-tenth of the omega-3 content of the milk that well-nourished,

nut-eating Nigerian mothers provide their infants. "

 

A revealing study was recently published by the Nutrition Research

Division of Health Canada. The researchers analysed the milk of 198

lactating mothers across Canada and found that trans- fatty acids

averaged 7.2 per cent of total fatty-acid content, with a range of

0.1 to 17.2 per cent.

 

Further analysis of these trans- fats showed that their major

source was partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (that means

margarine). They also noted that elevation of these trans- fats

occurred at the expense of the EFAs, thus placing the infant in

double jeopardy during a crucial period of development.

 

Both types of EFAs are necessary for proper development of foetal

and infant tissues, especially the nervous system. According to John

Finnegan, in The Facts About Fats, the omega-3s in particular affect

the parts of the brain that relate to learning ability, anxiety or

depression, and auditory and visual perception. They also aid in

balancing the immune system.7

 

A 1991 Mayo Clinic study of 19 'normal' pregnant women,

eating 'normal' diets, showed that all of them were deficient in the

omega-3 fatty acids and, to a lesser extent, the omega-6s. These

researchers recommended that the omega-3 fatty acids be supplemented

in every pregnancy, and that women avoid refined and hydrogenated

fats during pregnancy.

 

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

showed a dramatic difference between the heart-disease rates of

populations in northern and southern India.

 

The northerners were meat-eaters and had high cholesterol levels.

Their main source of dietary fat was ghee (clarified butter). The

southerners were vegetarians and had much lower cholesterol levels.

Present-day 'wisdom' would predict the vegetarians to have the lower

rate of heart disease, but, in fact, the opposite was true. The

vegetarians had 15 times the rate of heart disease when compared to

their northern counterparts! What was the reason for this surprising

difference?

 

Aside from meat versus vegetables, the major dietary difference was

that the southerners had replaced their traditional ghee (a real

food) with margarine and refined, polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

 

Twenty years later, the British medical journal the Lancet noted an

increase in heart-attack deaths amongst the northern Indians.10 The

northerners had also largely replaced the ghee in their diets with

margarine and refined vegetable oils.

 

One hundred years ago, heart disease was virtually unknown. Today,

two-thirds of US citizens develop heart disease. Something has

clearly gone wrong with the way we are living, and one of the main

factors could indeed be the introduction of overrefined,

overprocessed, devitalised oils.

 

Other studies support this idea. For instance, a study conducted at

the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that intake of

partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may contribute to the risk of

heart attack. Research by Dr Siguel has also given more weight to

the theory that dietary trans- fatty acids are a risk factor for

heart disease.

 

A report by the Danish Nutrition Council said that studies suggest

that the consumption of trans- fatty acid from margarine is equally,

or perhaps more, responsible for the development of arteriosclerosis

than saturated fatty acids.

 

They recommended reducing the trans- fatty acid content in all

Danish margarine products to 5 per cent or less (it was then 0 to 30

per cent).

 

Another study done by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard

School of Public Health in Boston, analysed the diets of 239

patients admitted to Boston hospitals for their first heart attack,

and compared them with the diets of 282 healthy control subjects.

After adjusting for several lifestyle variables, they found that

margarine intake was significantly associated with the risk of

myocardial infarction.

 

A Harvard Medical School study followed more than 85,000 women over

an eight-year period. The researchers compared the diets of those

who developed heart disease over that time with those who did not.

They found that major dietary sources of trans- fats, such as

margarine, were significantly associated with higher risks of

coronary heart disease.

 

PROBLEMS WITH COMMERCIAL PROCESSING

Refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils have been very popular in the

US since the anti-cholesterol fad began many years ago and the

medical profession began promoting their use. When properly prepared

and utilised, some of these oils are healthful sources of EFAs.

 

Unfortunately, the standard commercial refining process destroys the

EFAs and creates high levels of trans- fatty acids, while removing

important natural constituents and protective agents like minerals

and vitamin E.

 

In The Facts About Fats and Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, John

Finnegan and Udo Erasmus describe the usual commercial refining

process for vegetable oils. It begins with seeds that may contain

high levels of pesticides and herbicides. The seeds are crushed and

subjected to a series of chemical treatments at temperatures up to

520°F (271°C).

 

These treatments include the use of toxic solvents, caustic soda,

preservatives and defoamers, and they result in the destruction of

essential fatty acids, loss of vitamins and minerals, and the

formation of trans- fatty acids and free radicals. This is exactly

the opposite of what is desirable.

 

It is all in the name of longer shelf-life and consumer acceptance

(what's left looks clean and pretty!). This also happens to the oils

used in processed foods, which means most everything that comes in a

can or a box. Remember to read those labels!

 

 

There have even been cases of companies simply rebottling regular

oil or mayonnaise with a 'health food' label and charging higher

prices.

 

Finnegan mentions two reputable certifying agencies: FVO (Farm

Verified Organic), and OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association).

He reports that only two companies meet his criteria for production

of healthful oils:

 

 

Omega Nutrition in Ferndale, WA (phone 1-800 661 3529), and Flora,

Inc. in Lynden, WA (phone 1-800 446 2110 or (360) 354 2110).

 

He also contacted one of the most well-known producers of 'health

food' oils in the nation, but they declined to discuss their oil

processing methods and refused to allow him to visit their

facilities.

 

Note that light and oxygen, in addition to heat, also cause

extensive damage to oils. According to Erasmus, light destroys oil

1,000 times faster than does oxygen, so it is important to purchase

unrefined oils in black, lightproof bottles.

 

Oxygen should be removed from the bottle and replaced with an inert

gas, such as nitrogen or argon. Omega Nutrition packages its oils in

this fashion.

 

Flora's oils are bottled in dark glass, reducing the amount of light

but not eliminating it. While considerably more expensive, they

should be worth the extra money, considering the facts presented in

this article.

 

EFA BALANCE AND OUR HEALTH

The two groups of essential fatty acids - omega-3 and omega-6 - are

named for their molecular configurations and where the

first " unsaturated " bond occurs along the chain of carbon atoms.

 

Omega-6 oils are found primarily in vegetables and seeds. They are

converted to the E1 prostaglandins (mentioned earlier) via several

chemical steps. Most people take in enough of these fatty acids, but

some have difficulty converting them to the active prostaglandins.

 

This blockage is commonly caused by excess trans- fats, anti-

inflammatory medications like aspirin or Tylenol, or deficiencies of

vitamin B6 or magnesium.

 

An insufficiency of omega-6 EFAs can result

in auto-immune problems, breast pain and lumpiness, eczema,

hyperactivity in children, hypertension, inflammation and PMS.

 

Supplementing with borage, evening primrose or black-currant seed

oils will usually bypass the blocked step and provide the necessary

precursor to make the desired prostaglandins.

 

Dr Siguel has found that the omega-3s are the more likely to be

deficient in our Western diets. Because of food processing and

dietary choices, the average Western diet today contains only one-

sixth the amount of omega-3 fatty acids needed for healthy function -

 

compared to a healthy balance 100 years ago.

 

Evidence indicates that a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids is

associated with arthritis and joint stiffness, irritable bowel

syndrome, PMS, prostate problems, various skin disorders as well as

depression, phobias and schizophrenia.

 

The two main sources of omega-3s are oils from organic flax seeds

and from cold-water fish (such as mackerel, sardines, tuna, trout

and salmon).

 

These fish should not be fried because of the effect of the high

temperatures involved and the resultant free-radical damage. Unlike

chicken and turkey, cold-water fish should be eaten with the skin

on, as this is where the highest concentration of desirable fats is

located.

 

There is some concern about eating fish frequently, due to the

chemical and heavy-metal pollution in the oceans. Predatory fish

concentrate these pollutants in their fatty tissues, but deep-ocean

fish are usually less tainted than coastal species. Freshwater fish

near agricultural, industrial or mining areas are best avoided due

to their high-level intake of toxic chemicals.

 

Farm-raised fish are fed something akin to pet food and should be

avoided; they are not as healthy and have insignificant levels of

omega-3 fatty acids.

 

When properly processed, organic flax seed oil has the highest

concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, at 57 per cent. Omega-3s are

also found in certain other " unrefined " seed oils such as chia, soy

and canola, but in much smaller amounts.

 

Flax seed oil is particularly sensitive and must be processed under

stringent conditions (cold, without light or oxygen), nitrogen-

packed in dark bottles to avoid oxidising, and shipped and displayed

in refrigerated containers.

 

While all unrefined, unsaturated oils should be processed, packaged

and distributed in this way, the vast majority are not. The

companies mentioned earlier adhere to these special methods, and you

should be able to buy their oils with some assurance that you are

getting a healthy product.

 

We have used oils from both companies for the past few years and

have been very happy with them. While more complicated and costly,

these methods may someday play an important role in reducing many

common degenerative diseases, which are much costlier in the long

run especially in terms of human suffering and loss of potential.

 

The healthiest foods are usually organically grown and should be

eaten close to their natural state. Certified organic seeds and

grains are available at most food co-ops.

 

Eating organically grown seeds and other foods is strongly

recommended for minimising chemical intake and optimising nutrient

content.

 

When consuming whole foods, we get a complex array of nutrients

which naturally work together to fuel the intricate chemistry that

keeps our bodies going, but many of these nutrients are normally

lost in commercial processing.

 

Even the most painstaking human efforts to produce healthy packaged

foods and oils always fall short of nature's accomplishments. The

best oils are provided by nature, neatly packaged to prevent

oxidation of their precious contents.

 

Freshly-ground organic flax seeds contain fresh oil (protected by

the husk), and their fibre is the richest source of certain

substances called " lignans " , found to have potent anticancer,

antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

 

Flax fibre has from 100 to 800 times more lignans than other fibre

sources. This is an inexpensive and tasty way to ensure adequate

intake of omega-3 fatty acids (see directions outlined below). If

you prefer, you can purchase quality flax-seed oils in bottles or in

capsules. Just make sure you know how they are processed! Flora and

Omega Nutrition offer good-quality flax oils in bottles and

capsules.

 

'THE GOOD OIL' ON HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

Here are several additional ways to improve your fatty acid balance

and avoid the trans- fat trap:

 

Have some freshly ground flax seeds every day. Pulverise three

tablespoons of seeds in a blender or coffee grinder to yield about

one tablespoon of oil (mixed in with the powder). This will

approximate the suggested daily amount of omega-3 oil for an average

person. It can be mixed with cereal, blended in a smoothie or added

to yoghurt. You can also mix it with warm (not hot) apple juice, and

add some sliced banana or other fruit to make a tasty, nutritious,

pudding-like cereal that's filling and will do wonders for bowel

function! Be sure to consume the ground flax-seeds within 10 to 15

minutes to minimise the damage from oxidation. However, a note of

caution: in doing allergy testing, I have seen several people (my

wife and myself included) who are allergic to flax seeds, and others

who are allergic to psyllium seeds which are commonly used for their

fibre content.

 

Use organic butter instead of margarine or shortening in cooking.

Butter has some problems, too, such as residual hormones and

pesticides, but it is a whole food. Whole foods have fat-mobilising

nutrients to take care of their own fats if eaten in moderation. If

you want to use butter, try to get organically-produced butter.

 

 

Organic, unrefined coconut butter is an alternative to regular

butter in your diet. Omega Nutrition has this product.

 

However, most other coconut oil products are hydrogenated. Coconut

oil has been subjected to a smear campaign by commercial vegetable

oil producers, but the research studies cited have used hydrogenated

coconut oil, which may have skewed the results.

 

Use olive oil or a 50:50 mixture of ghee and olive oil. Do not fry

or sauté with " polyunsaturated " light oils such as safflower,

sunflower or corn oils. They oxidise readily into damaging free-

radicals at high temperatures.

 

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can tear into your

cells and start nasty chain reactions that can leave behind

extensive damage, including alteration of your genetic code (DNA)

and formation of cancer cells. Free radicals are widely considered

to play a major role in degenerative disease.

 

While there are virtually no EFAs in olive oil, it is rich in " mono-

unsaturated " fatty acids and is not so easily oxidised. Use

an " extra virgin, cold-pressed, first pressing " olive oil,

preferably with a greenish colour and some sediment on the bottom,

which usually indicates less processing.

Most co-ops carry it.

 

If allergic to milk, you can often substitute a 50:50 mixture of

apple sauce and organic, unrefined canola, sunflower or safflower

oil for margarine or butter in recipes, which we have tried in pie

crusts and cakes with great results.

 

 

Try organic non-hydrogenated peanut butter, available in some

grocery stores and all food co-ops. The peanut butter will separate,

with the oil floating to the top of the container. The best brand is

probably Arrowhead Mills.

They sun-dry their organic peanuts to avoid growth of a common

mould that produces aflatoxin, which is as toxic as the name

suggests.

Most commercial peanuts reportedly have aflatoxin as well as

pesticide residues. Almond or walnut butters contain healthier fats

than peanut butter, without the mould problem. You can find them at

food co-ops and health food stores.

 

Buy your oil in sealed bottles and avoid the bulk oils in co-ops,

since they are usually rancid (free radicals again). An oil that

tastes bitter when you place a drop on your tongue is rancid and

should not be consumed.

 

Always refrigerate your oils after opening. Unrefined oils are best

refrigerated as soon as you buy them, to prolong their shelf- life.

If they are not in lightproof bottles, keep them out of the light.

 

The greater your intake of unsaturated fats like vegetable oils and

fish oils (EPA/DHA omega-3s), the more you need antioxidant

protection against free-radical damage. If you take supplements of

fish oil or evening primrose oil, or use polyunsaturated oils,

consider taking extra vitamin E. An effective daily dose of vitamin

E is about 300 to 400 IUs per day, and " mixed tocopherols " is

probably the best general-purpose form to use. Many studies support

its effectiveness in reducing risk of heart disease, arthritis and

other free-radical-related diseases.

Since vitamin C is used to regenerate 'used' vitamin E,

supplementing with 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day would be

prudent as well.

 

The most expensive oils and supplements cannot fully compensate for

an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Use common sense and consult with a

nutritionally-oriented health professional when you have health

concerns.

Books by Dean Ornish, M.D.16 and John McDougall, M.D.17 offer many

excellent ideas regarding diet and lifestyle, and I recommend them

for basic dietary information, although their programs tend towards

very low fat intake. However, to ensure adequate EFA intake you

should have some raw, organic nuts and seeds along with high-quality

oils (such as those mentioned above) to supplement these low-fat

diets.

 

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS

There are still holdouts within the 'scientific' community,

particularly those employed or funded by the food industry, who

claim there is not yet sufficient proof that trans- fats are

dangerous, and then cite studies that justify their position. This

is the name of the game in modern-day 'science' where egos and money

are involved.

 

However, most studies currently appearing in the literature support

the idea that these chemically-altered fats are harmful. In such

cases of conflict, I always side with Mother Nature: she is much

wiser than we will ever be!

 

Remember that most of this information about trans- fats has been

known for many years, but processors have succeeded in keeping the

issue out of the public eye - another example of caveat emptor (let

the buyer beware) in the food industry. Now that you are aware of

it, the rest is up to you! Good luck, and good health!

---

 

-----------

 

Endnotes:

1. Erasmus, Udo, Ph.D., Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Alive Books,

Burnaby, BC, Canada, 1987, 1993.

2. Harvard Health Letter, Summer 1994.

3. Jaffe, Russell, M.D., Lipids (audiotape), 1992.

4. Siguel, Edward, M.D., Ph.D., Essential Fatty Acids in Health and

Disease, Nutrek Press, Brookline, MA, USA, 1995.

5. Rudin, Donald, M.D., and Felix, Clara, The Omega-3 Phenomenon,

Rawson, New York, USA, 1987.

6. Lipids, March 1996, 31:Suppl:S27982.

7. Finnegan, John, N.D., The Facts About Fats, Celestial Arts

Publishing, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1993.

8. " Deficiency of essential fatty acids and membrane fluidity during

pregnancy and lactation " , Biochemistry, Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences, USA, vol. 88, June 1991.

9. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1967, 20:462-475.

10. The Lancet, 14 November 1987.

11. Circulation, January 1994, 89(1):94-101.

12. American Journal of Cardiology, 1993, 71:916-920.

13. Clinical Science, April 1995, 88(4):375-92.

14. Circulation, ibid.

15. The Lancet, March 1993, 341(8845):581-5.

16. Ornish, Dean, M.D., Dr Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart

Disease, Ballantine Books, New York, USA, 1990.

17. McDougall, John A., M.D., The McDougall Program, Plume (Penguin

Books), New York, USA, 1991.

 

* Morrison, Robert Thornton, and Boyd, Robert Neilson, Organic

Chemistry, Allyn & Bacon, Inc., Boston, USA, 1973, 1979, 3 ed.

 

About the Author:

Dr Dane Roubos, B.Sc., D.C., D.A.B.C.I., has been a student of

nutrition for 25 years, and a practising chiropractor for the past

14 years. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic

Internists, and currently teaches full-time at the Northwestern

College of Chiropractic in Minnesota. He is committed to helping

people learn how to live closer to the Earth, the spirit and their

deeper selves.