February 10, 2012

Natural Trans-Fats Verses Man-made


Now the controversy is also coming back to fats and whether we should eat low fat as many in the medical community preach in their low-fat mantra. I find it interesting that one article about a study showing that natural fats are not putting people at increased risk of heart disease. This is about trans fats. Those that are man made are still proving to make people at increased risk for heart disease. The man made trans fats were created by our chemical companies for the purpose of increasing shelf life of many foods.

Natural trans fats are now being shown to not increase the risk for heart disease. They exist in beef, pork, lamb, butter, and milk. While moderation is emphasized, these trans fats do not seem as harmful as their man made counterparts. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Of course, this study has its supporters and naysayers. The US Department of Agriculture agrees with the study. The USDA also supports the milk producers in the US. Then the director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis says we need more studies before we make statements like this. Although not mentioned, the director has interests in the chemical industry.

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