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Natural Trans Fats Actually Have Health Benefits

trans fat, beef, french friesArtificial trans fats are bad for you, but naturally occurring ones may have very different effects.

A diet with enriched levels of trans vaccenic acid (VA) -- a natural animal fat found in dairy and beef products -- can actually reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to a researcher from the University of Alberta.

The benefit was due in part to the ability of VA to reduce the production of chylomicrons, which are particles of fat and cholesterol that form in your small intestine following a meal. They are then rapidly processed throughout the body, and may be related to a variety of conditions arising from metabolic disorders.

Experiments on rats showed that VA in the diet could lower total cholesterol by approximately 30 percent, LDL cholesterol by 25 percent, and triglyceride levels by more than 50 percent.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Unlike what many health “experts” would have you believe, animal fats are your friends. Be cautious of anybody advising you otherwise, as this study adds just one more reason why you should be including them in your diet.

This study does throw a twist in our conventional understanding of trans fat, though, as the natural trans fat vaccenic acid (VA) actually appears to be beneficial.

These natural trans fats are nothing like their man-made, highly processed cousins. In fact, according to fat experts Mary Enig and Sally Fallon, VA is an interim product that the animal then converts to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a highly beneficial cancer-fighting component of animal fat.

In the early days of trans fatty acid research, the researchers assumed that the trans fatty acids found in animal fats were no different than those produced by partial hydrogenation in the factory.

But studies showed that they were very wrong. Not only was the amount of natural trans fats much smaller (VA makes up about 4 percent of the fatty acids in butter, for instance), but the effect on your cell membranes was no different than without the natural trans fats. Yet all studies feeding the trans fat produced by partially hydrogenating vegetable oils showed harmful effects on cells.

There is NO Safe Level of Man-Made Trans Fats

These synthetic trans fats  exist in processed foods like crackers, bakery and French fries are so toxic that even the Institute of Medicine said your intake should be “as low as possible.” They were given the opportunity to establish a “safe upper limit,” but declined to do so because, quite simply, there is none.

Trans fats are produced during a process called partial hydrogenation, during which the hydrogen atoms in liquid unsaturated fatty acids are rearranged. The end result is a completely unnatural fat that causes dysfunction and chaos in your body on a cellular level.

Trans fats have been linked to:
  • Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer.
  • Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes.
  • Decreased immune function: They reduce your immune response.
  • Problems with reproduction: They interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones.
  • Obesity
  • Heart disease
Trans fats even interfere with your body’s use of beneficial omega-3 fats, and have been linked to an increase in asthma.

How do You Know Which Fats are the Healthy Ones?

There is so much information about healthy versus unhealthy fats out there, and I realize that it can be confusing. But I can sum up the difference between a healthy fat and an unhealthy one in one word: natural.

Just about every naturally occurring fat that you can think of is great for your health. This includes VA, the natural trans fats in animal products.

When choosing which dairy products and meats to include in your diet, always keep in mind these tips to live by:
So there you have it. Simple. Traditional. Natural. These are the fats that will nourish your system. If it was made by man, in a lab, as opposed to naturally in a plant or animal, just take a big, fat pass.


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Comment on This Article Community Comments (41)
 
 
Posted On Apr 09, 2008
Why do so many studies put so much weight on lower cholesterol  numbers.  Over 50% of the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels and studies show that in older women a higher cholesterol level correlates to longer lifespans.  Cholesterol is not the bad guy it is made out to be and a lower level does not necessary mean better health.

 
Cheryl Rounds
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 10/2006
Cheryl Rounds  
Replied

qualitygeek
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 10/2007
qualitygeek  
 
Posted On Apr 10, 2008
The problem with studies is that most people only read the abstract (via news reports) & think they understand what the study found when in reality, the results may be (& often are) very different.


shanni2
Novice User Novice User Joined On 1/2008
shanni2  
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

Hi Cheryl,isn't it most likely that the cholesterol issue was raised in order to get most of the over 50's (at least) on medication?? Make money, money,money  for the pharmaceutical companies??

You  might already know that the aim is to have every healthy (YES healthy) person on medication - equivalent to 'chewing gum'sales - this was the expressed vision of a leading pharmaceuticals man a few decades ago -(sorry his name escapes me at the moment) BUT - how well they are succeeding ! ! !

What will the next biggie they'll pull out of the hat to worry us and get doctors writing prescriptions in the millions ???

Let's wait and see . . .



A Storm
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
A Storm  
 
Posted On Apr 27, 2008

All this 'science' promised when I was young to heal all our ailments and address the energy crisis by the time I had grown.  Has anyone noticed that we have not had any significant medical 'cures' since penicillin and polio vac??

What happened to the better energy they promised?  Cancer cures?  

We were told that with the invention of the computer and better scientific techniques that the advancement curve was supposed to get steeper and multiply upon itself like compound interest!!  

You cannot trust any MANMADE substance. It is the nature of the beast.  MAN cannot MAKE something better because he has no vested interest in making it good and better.  ONLY IN MAKING IT PROFITABLE!!

They are so full of lies and deceit and love for the 'all mighty dollar' that how can anyone with even HALF a brain believe anything that they say??!!??

##**Maybe they gave the most of the American public lobotomies when we weren't looking!!  HA! HA!**##  LOL


 
 
 
Posted On Apr 08, 2008
Why should we be surprised that something naturally occurring is better for you than something that is man made.

Mary

 
mmc88121
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006
mmc88121  
Replied

seg
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 11/2006
seg  
 
Posted On Apr 09, 2008
The 2 keys words in the subject are natural and fats......but again we have to make sure they are from clean sources and that they are used according to your specific requirments.......

What's that famous quote from Jack Lalanne again.. I'm not going to say it we beat that drum enough, but then again sometimes we need to drum things in over and over again for it to finally stick.....
IF IT WAS MADE BY NATURE THEN IT'S GOTTA BE GOOD, IF IT WAS MADE BY MAN DON'T EAT IT....


seg
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 11/2006
seg  
 
Posted On Apr 09, 2008
very slow system today posted this 3 times wow....


seg
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 11/2006
seg  
 
Posted On Apr 09, 2008
The 2 keys words in the subject are natural and fats......but again we have to make sure they are from clean sources and that they are used according to your specific requirments.......

What's that famous quote from Jack Lalanne again.. I'm not going to say it we beat that drum enough, but then again sometimes we need to drum it in over and over again for it to finally stick.....
IF IT WAS MADE BY NATURE THEN IT'S GOTTA BE GOOD, IF IT WAS MADE BY MAN DON'T EAT IT....Another one was "people don't die of old age they die of neglect".....


Pat Ormsby
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 6/2006
Pat Ormsby  
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

That's the wisdom we have obtained by opening our eyes, doing our own research and seeing how our body actually responds.  I am constantly amazed at how many people still have such faith in technology that they believe man-made foods and drugs can provide all of the answers to problems that have affected us all down the centuries.  Thirty years ago, technology was so impressive I thought it could solve any problem if we just tried harder, but my own illness brought me to the realization that the profit motive paints a rosier picture than reality and hides inconvenient problems from the public.  Now I think science is a wonderful tool when political repercussions and other social realities are taken into consideration, but I am highly suspicious of technology because it is science in bed with industry, which attracts the devil just as quickly as religion + government.



Fred Potter
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
Fred Potter  
 
Posted On Apr 27, 2008

Deadly nightshade is natural but it can be fatal. Plants can't move so many have evolved poison which works as a defence mechanism. Many, many plants protect themselves from being eaten.


 
 
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

Barbara, where did you get that from with the 20 to 30 grams daily? Did your body tell you? Also can it be that you had migraines because of dehydration?

Your body, more precisely the hormone leptin, should be the guideline when to stop eating. 20-30 grams seems awfully little, but if that is your limit and you feel good with that, that's fine and I'm happy your health improved. However everyone seems to be little different. I eat lots of cheese, nuts, avocados, but overall in moderation, and that's the key. If you eat too little or too much of anything, your body may not like it. I am as healthy as it can be with ideal weight and superb sleep. If we, mammals, ate only fruits over a long periods of time, we wouldn't be able to survive Winters. There is a reason for FAT in life!


 
charmus
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 2/2008
charmus  
 
 
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

Pat, l would agree with you whole-heartedly. Low fat diets can indeed lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and low HDL-C. Its all to do with insulin and leptin metabolism, which, if unchecked, will lead to type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and its complications. Consumption of artificial trans fats, and excessive intake of polyunsaturates from margarines, cooking oils, and bakery products, will undoubtedly impact on our health over the medium-long term.  For greater understanding on this subject, l'd recommend Ron Rosedale's book "The Rosedale Diet" and Mary Enig's book "Know Your Fats". See also Ron's articles on this website. They certainly provide plenty of "food for thought".


 
BJ203
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 4/2008
BJ203  
 
 
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

what if we make French fries using a good oil such as coconut oil, wouldn't that make them trans fat free?


 
Pavlaras
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 6/2006
Pavlaras  
Replied

paulabob
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 10/2007
paulabob  
 
Posted On Apr 26, 2008

Yes, but they would still be full of acrylamides. The higher the starches, the worse the acrylamide content.  Cooking longer and lower temps helps.

You can also make rutabaga or turnip fries.  Though I have to say, they aren't quite the same thing!

I do most of my cooking with virgin coconut, olive, and sometimes.....BUTTER!


 
 
 
 
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