Enjoy The
Fat But Not Trans Fat
Written By Nutriwonders
What has been brewing
as a major controversy between scientists, medical doctors, politicians
and the media since the end of World War II, caused many Americans and
other peoples to change their diets, and netted the pharmaceutical and
food industries billions of dollars in research dollars and profits
respectively, has revolved around a proposition which, though never
supported by any scientific study, has nevertheless been accepted as
truth by all but a few well informed scientists.
We are talking about
the notion that the less fat you take in through your diet, the less
likely you are to develop heart disease or die from a heart attack.
As a matter of fact, in l984, The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
had begun advising every American old enough to walk to restrict fat
intake. Even the president of the American Heart Association (AHA) had
told Time magazine that if every one went along, "we will have
(atherosclerosis) conquered" by the year 2000. As well The Surgeon
General's office itself had just published its 700-page landmark "Report
on Nutrition and Health," declaring fat the single most unwholesome
component of the American diet.
Remember that the
"Five Basic Food Groups" always included fats and oils. If
you went beyond high school "Health Class" then you might
have learned that the brain is 70% fat and that the deterioration of
that fat in the brain and spinal cord is what produces the symptoms
of multiple sclerosis and a host of other debilitating nervous disorders.
Fat is also the primary component of cell membranes. If these membranes
do not have the proper proportions of saturated fats (said to be bad)
to unsaturated fats (known to be good) then glucose (sugar), hormones
and other vital chemicals conceivably would not move in and out of the
cell properly, thus producing diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
The controversy
started when, after World War II, there appeared to be a coronary artery
disease epidemic sweeping the country. There seemed to be ample evidence
that dietary fat was the cause. That was in l952. However, by l969,
the Diet-Heart Review Panel of the National Heart Institute (now the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI) said "It is
not known whether dietary manipulation has any effect whatsoever on
coronary heart disease."
As well, it should
be noted, that the effect of diet on cholesterol levels is, for most
individuals, very slight, as is the effect of lower cholesterol on heart
disease. The reason is that the liver produces cholesterol to support
a number of vital functions. The body does not want its cholesterol
level lowered.
As a matter of fact,
for 20 years, the Harvard School of Public Health has accumulated data
on the diet and health of almost 300,000 American health professionals.
The results suggest that total fat consumed has no relation to heart
disease risk; that monounsaturated fats like olive oil lower risk; and
that saturated fats (from meats, etc) are little worse, if at all, than
pasta. The studies also suggest (and many consumer groups want the amount
of these fats noted on packages of food)and that trans fatty acids are
unhealthful. Trans-fatty acids are the fats that are in margarine, hydrogenated
oils (peanut butter, cookies, etc.), salad dressing, salad oils, and
shortenings made of oil These data have not convinced the government
to change its guidelines. However, in 2003, the FDA recognized that
"there are no safe levels of trans fats."
Americans' average
fat intake has droped from 40% to 34% of total calories since the l970's
with an average serum cholesterol level dropping as well. There is however,
no compelling evidence suggesting that these decreases have improved
health. Yes, heart disease death rates have dropped, but the incidence
of heart disease has not. Rather, the number of medical procedures for
heart disease has increased from 1.2 million to 5.4 million per year
between l979 and l996.
And here is the
irony of all of this: Obesity in America, which remained constant from
the early l960's through l980, has surged upward since then--from l4%
of the population to over 22%. Diabetes has increased l5% in the last
ten years, according to a recent report found in the Los Angeles Times.
Both obesity and diabetes increase heart disease risk, which could explain
why heart disease incidence is not decreasing. This obesity epidemic
occurred just as the govenment began bombarding Americans with the low-fat
message.
This information
points up the dangerous difference between "common sense thinking"
and actual science. Examine these matters for yourself. There is no
paucity of information available to the average American. Study the
information for your self and then consult with a competent physician.
Ask him if it is not true that metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X is not
in fact responsible for the increase in obesity and diabetes, and that
Syndrome X is actually caused by the high levels of trans fats. Type
“Syndrome X” or "trans fats" or "trans fatty
acids" into your web browser and examine the results very carefully.
Good Health!
