This is a good follow up to the BUTTER VERSUS MARGARINE post...
Chris Gupta
Suggestions that eliminating trans fats would force the food industry to use "harmful " animal fats or palm oil is based on false science. For years the seed oil industry has used the cholesterol scare to justify the use of their cheap, nutritionally stripped hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated soybean, canola, sunflower, safflower and corn oil based margarines and shortenings. ["Canada could be second in worlds to ban trans fats,".
Un hydrogenated animal fats as well as coconut and palm kernel oils have been used for thousands of years without harm. Independent food scientists and medical researchers, not beholden to the margarine and processed food industry, have aptly demonstrated that the rise of cardiovascular disease as the number one killer in the twentieth century parallels the introduction of hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans fatty acids in the food chain. Holland and Denmark on a per capita basis consume more cholesterol loaded bacon, whole milk, butter and eggs than the United Kingdom and North America. However, the former have a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than the latter.
Animal fat and tropical oils do not raise blood cholesterol. Label claims that food products containing hydrogenated oils are "cholesterol free" mislead consumers since trans fatty acids created by hydrogenated raise the "bad" cholesterol.
Another factor overlooked regarding the issue of polyunsaturated seed oils versus naturally saturated tropical or animal fats. Polyunsaturated oils oxidize at frying temperatures and are just as harmful to health as trans fats
Croft Woodruff
Posted at November 25, 2004 12:00 AM
