On Trans fatty acids

December 14, 2006

In one very informative post the ingredient label was shown. Thank you.

To me, this manufacture's terminology might just be a way of legally pulling the

wool over the buyer's eyes

The label stated " protein 1 gram, no significant source of saturated, trans

fats,.... " In reality as I look at this ... and I could be wrong, ergo my

posting this.... this product could in fact be loaded with trans fatty acids.

As I understand organic chemestry, a saturated faty acid. or any saturated

carbon chain, can not be trans. It is already electrically balanced and

therefore ... excuse the expression ... a straight chain ... kind-a like an

uncooked linguini. These chains therefore, in your blood vessels. can stick

together with other saturated chains like linguini would if placed in water and

not stirred and/or separated.

Unsaturated chains on the other hand have an electronically out of balance

structure. Because of the series of double bonds in both mono- &

poly-unsaturated chains, the extra hydrogen used to make the second bond leaves

only one hydrogen at that carbon. These hydrogens before we destroy the chain,

naturally occur to the same side of the chain. This causes the chain to bend...

sort of like an elbow maccaroni. We know you could place hundreds of these

'elbows' next to each other and they will not allign, therefore that do not

stick together as the linguini would. These are called sis fatty acids. Virgin

Olive oiy is so good for you because it is loaded with the mono-unsaturated

fats. These mono- acids can not become trans-fatty acids as there is only one

free hydrogen and the chain is out of balance no matter what side that hydrogen

goes to.

Now, when you oxidize (add light, heat. oxygen [air]) the sis fatty acid, the

free swinging hydrogens adjust. The vertually balance themselves electronically

with half of them moving to the other side of the chain .... " trans " fering from

one side of the chain to the other, ergo the name Trans fatty acid. Now that

this " unsaturated " fatty acid has become electronically balanced it is not

longer being bent over by the imbalance, but instead becomes " straight " ... like

the linguini.... but it is still an unsaturated carbon chain. It's just not

good for you any longer. It acts like a saturated fatty acid, but legally can

still be listed as an unsaturated fatty acid. So as one might say .... " gay

in this case is better for you than straight " [no political stance intended,

just something to help in an association of elbows vs. lingiuni]

Bottom line .... look for the label to separate the amount of sis-fatty acids

from the amount of trans-fatty acids in that section of the label under

unsaturated fats, not under saturated fats.

Also .. Remember that air and light oxidizes the unsaturated fatty acids. Leave

a bag of chips with even a pressed oil and not hydroginated, the light and air

will convert the sis-fatty to trans-fatty. Even in boxed and containerized

foods, age alone without light will do the same. Those containers are not

always air tight either.

Aluminum chip bags you say? No light? ... Well aluminum ???? Now that's a

whole new discussion.

Healty eating everyone...

Alyssia

[un-available at your bookstores .. Alyssia's abbridged, un-pocketable

Dictionary. I use this one all the time so I can not mis-spelted any words....

i.e.: Plese excuse my typos, miserable spelling and 'keyboard-disflexia']

December 15, 2006

What an absolutely incredible explanation!!! Are you a teacher? You should be.

Thank you so very much for sharing that. That was cool!!!!

Alyssia <deechun_sa_ngop wrote: In one very informative

post the ingredient label was shown. Thank you.