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concentration of trans fatty acids having a positive association __ effects of trans fatty acids in the diet is in actuality a listing of the with postmenopausal breast cancer in European women. good (saturated) versus the bad (trans). In 1995, a British documentary on the trans fatty acids was When one compares the saturated fatty acids and the trans fatty aired on a major television station in the UK. This documentary acids, we see that: included an exposé of the battle between the edible oil industry 1) saturated fatty acids raise HDL cholesterol, the so-called and some of the major researchers of the trans fatty acids. Just "good cholesterol", whereas the trans fatty acids lower HDL cho- this year [1999], this same documentary was aired on television in lesterol (Mensink and Katan, 1990; Judd et al., 1994); France, where it had been requested by a major television station. 2) saturated fatty acids lower the blood levels of the atherogenic Several of the early researchers into the trans problems, including lipoprotein (a), whereas trans fatty acids raise the blood levels of Professor Fred Kummerow and Dr George Mann, have continued lipoprotein (a) (Khosla and Hayes, 1996; Hornstra et al., 1991; their research and/or writing (Kummerow, 1999, 2000; Mann, Clevidence et al., 1997); 1994, 2000). The popular media have continued to press the issue 3) saturated fatty acids conserve the elongated omega-3 fatty of the amounts of trans in foods, for which there are still no com- acids (Gerster, 1998), whereas trans fatty acids cause the tissues rehensive government databases. to lose these omega-3 fatty acids (Sugano and Ikeda, 1996); A recently published paper from a US Department of 4) saturated fatty acids do not inhibit insulin binding, whereas Agriculture researcher states: "Because trans fatty acids have no trans fatty acids do inhibit insulin binding; nown health benefits and strong presumptive evidence suggests 5) saturated fatty acids are the normal fatty acids made by the that they contribute markedly to the risk of body and they do not interfere with enzyme developing CHD, the results published to functions such as the delta-6-desaturase, date suggest that it would be prudent to whereas trans fatty acids are not made by the lower the intake of trans fatty acids in the body and they interfere with many enzyme US diet" (Nelson, 1998). functions such as delta-6-desaturase; and Professor Meir Stampfer from Harvard Cholesterol is a major 6) some saturated fatty acids are used by University refers to trans fats as "one of the body to fight viruses, bacteria and proto- the major nutritional issues of the nation", support molecule for zoa and they support the immune system, contending that "they have a large impact" the immune system, an whereas trans fatty acids interfere with the and that "we should completely eliminate . oe function of the immune system. ydrogenated fats from the diet" important antioxidant (Gottesman, 1998). VIII. WHAT ABOUT THE Lowering the trans fatty acids in foods and a necessary UNSATURATED FATS? in the US can only be done by returning to component of The arteries of the heart are also compro- the use of the natural, unhydrogenated and neu rotransmitter mised by the unsaturated fatty acids. When more saturated fats and oils. Predictions can be made regarding the future of trans fatty acids. Our ability to predict has been pretty good; for example, when Enig Associates started producing the mar- keting newsletter Market Insights, written by Eric Enig, we predicted that trans fatty acids would eventual- ly be swept out of the market. It appears that this prediction may be close to coming true. Also in the early 1990s, Market the fatty acid composition of the plaques (atheromas) in the arteries has been analysed, the level of saturated fatty acids in the cholesterol esters is only 26% compared to that in the unsaturated fatty acids, which is 74%. When the unsaturated fatty acids in the cholesterol esters in these plaques are analysed, it is shown that 38% are polyunsaturated and 36% are mono- unsaturated. Clearly, the problem is not with the saturated fatty acids. As an aside, you need to understand Insights predicted that the Center for that the major role of cholesterol in Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) heart disease and cancer is as the would change its mind about the trans fatty acids, which it had —_ body's repair substance and that cholesterol is a major support spent years defending. CSPI did change its mind, and in fact went — molecule for the immune system, an important antioxidant and a on the attack regarding the trans, but CSPI never admitted that it | necessary component of neurotransmitter receptors. Our brains had originally been promoting trans or that the high levels of do not work very well without adequate cholesterol. It should be trans fatty acids found in the fried foods in fast food and other _—_ apparent to scientists that the current approach to cholesterol has restaurants and in many other foods are directly due to CSPI lob- been wrong. bying. While its change was welcome, CSPI's revisionist version The pathway to cholesterol synthesis starts with a molecule of of its own history of support of partially hydrogenated oils and —_ acetyl CoA [coenzyme A] that comes from the metabolism of trans fatty acids would have fitted perfectly into George Orwell's excess protein-forming ketogenic amino acids and from the Nineteen Eighty-Four. metabolism of excess carbohydrates as well as from the oxidation of excess fatty acids. Grundy in 1978 reported that the degree of VII. COMPARISON OF SATURATED FATS WITH THE saturation of the fat in the diet did not affect the rate of synthesis TRANS FATS of cholesterol. However, research reported by Jones in 1997 The statement that trans fatty acids are like saturated fatty acids showed that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet increase the is not correct for biological systems. A listing of the biological rate of cholesterol synthesis relative to other fatty acids. effects of saturated fatty acids in the diet versus the biological Furthermore, research reported in 1993 (Hodgsons et al.) showed receptors. Our brains do not work very well without adequate cholesterol. Cholesterol is a major support molecule for the immune system, an important antioxidant and a necessary component of neurotransmitter receptors. Our brains do not work very well without adequate cholesterol. VII. COMPARISON OF SATURATED FATS WITH THE TRANS FATS The statement that trans fatty acids are like saturated fatty acids is not correct for biological systems. A listing of the biological effects of saturated fatty acids in the diet versus the biological 32 ¢ NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2002 WWW.NeXU smagazi ne.com