The Facts

Trans-Fatty Acids are the altered chemical structure of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in dietary oils after they have been modified from their natural Cis-Fatty Acid state.

Partially hydrogenated oils contain Trans-Fatty Acids which are irrefutably proven to increase the risk of Atherosclerosis by increasing the body's production of Lipoprotein (a) which is strongly implicated in Atherosclerosis. They also increase the risk of abnormal blood clotting by increasing the "stickiness" of the platelets in blood cells. Trans-Fatty Acids increase the risk of Ischemic Heart Disease  and increase the risk of a first Heart Attack. It has been shown that individuals who consume more than 6 grams of Trans-Fatty Acids per day have a 2.44 times greater risk for a first Heart Attack compared to persons who consume less than 3 grams of Trans-Fatty Acids per day.

It is also proven that Trans-Fatty Acids increase the risk of high blood pressure by increasing blood pressure, and by altering the activity of Liver enzymes Trans-Fatty Acids increase the risk of Cancer, and also Obesity and Asthma.  Here are some clinical reports for you to judge.

Margarine negates benefits of EPA
Fish oil supplements containing EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are proven to exert an anti-inflammatory effect and may be of  benefit to those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Studies show that this beneficial effect is significantly reduced when the diet is high in linoleic acid. A seven week controlled experiment involving 30 male volunteers was recently completed in Australia. The participants were given 1.6 gram EPA and 0.32 gram DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) daily. Half the volunteers were kept on a diet high in linoleic acid by using margarine as a spread and polyunsaturated oils for cooking. The other half used butter and olive oil which are low in linoleic acid. The experiment clearly showed that the incorporation of fish oil is enhanced by a diet containing butter and fish oil. Margarine and polyunsaturated oils had an inhibiting effect and should therefore be excluded from the diet in order to obtain maximum benefit from fish oil.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 1992, pp. 395- 99

Margarine is a heart hazard
Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have concluded that consumption of trans-fatty acids significantly increases the risk of heart attack. Trans-fatty acids are found mainly in margarine and shortening and are formed during the hydrogenation of vegetable oils. The researchers studied 748 men aged 43 to 85 years over a three year period. They found a direct correlation between total cholesterol and the intake of trans-fatty acids and also between low- density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and trans-fatty acid intake. Blood concentration of the "good" cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), on the other hand, decreased as the consumption of trans-fatty acids went up. The data translates into a 27% increased heart attack risk for a man consuming 30 grams per day of margarine as compared to a man consuming 10 grams per day or less. The researchers also discovered that people having high cholesterol levels to begin with were more susceptible to the adverse effects of trans-fatty acids. What price butter?
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1992, pp. 1019-24

Snack Foods Pose High Risk
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have confirmed that many snack foods (containing vegetable oils & margarine) are very high in trans-fatty acids. As an example, Danish pastry was found to contain over 3 grams of trans-fatty acids, four ounces of french fries were found to contain anywhere between 2.41 and 3.43 grams, and a teaspoon of stick margarine about 0.6 gram. In contrast, a teaspoon of butter contains only 0.1 gram and a muffin only 0.09 gram. Chicken and pork were also found to be relatively low in trans-fatty acids with five ounces of chicken or pork containing 0.1 gram. Beef had a higher content at 0.9 gram per five ounces while one teaspoon of vegetable shortening contains 0.63 gram on the average. The researchers point out that trans-fatty acids increase blood levels of the detrimental low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and decrease levels of beneficial high-density lipoproteins. They also caution that even a small intake of trans-fatty acids can negate the effect of an otherwise low-fat diet.
Litin, Lisa and Sacks, Frank. Trans-fatty-acid content of common foods. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 329, No. 26, December 23, 1993, pp. 1969-70

Myocardial Infarction & Margarine
Research carried out at the Harvard Medical School confirms that a high intake of margarine markedly increases the risk of a first heart attack (myocardial infarction). The researchers studied 239 white patients less than 76 years of age who had been admitted to Boston area hospitals with a first acute myocardial infarction. A group of 282 healthy individuals provided the control group. People who had a high intake of margarine were found to have more than twice the risk of a first heart attack than did people whose margarine consumption was low. The researchers believe it is the trans- fatty acids formed in the production of margarine which are the culprits. Stick margarine contains about 32.5 per cent trans-fatty acids (per cent of total fat) while tub margarine contains about 17.5 per cent. The risk of a heart attack was found to be 2.44 times higher among people who consumed 6 or more grams per day of trans-fatty acids (energy-adjusted) as compared to people who consumed 3 grams or less. This increased risk remained when the observations were adjusted for intakes of beta-carotene, vitamins E and C, multi-vitamins, aspirin, and dietary fiber. The researchers found no relationship between the risk of heart attack and the intake of the type of trans-fatty acids occurring naturally in animal fats.
Ascherio, Alberto, et al. Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction. Circulation, Vol. 89, No. 1, January 1994, pp. 94-101

The role of fats & oils in human nutrition
 An international group of experts sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a comprehensive report covering the latest scientific findings regarding the role of fats and oils in human nutrition. The report "Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Fats and Oils in Human Nutrition" provides recommendations regarding the type and amounts of fats and oils required in the daily diet. Among the recommendations are:

• 
  Dietary fats should supply between 15 and 35 per cent of total energy intake. Women of reproductive age should consume at least 20 per cent of their energy from fat. Sedentary individuals should limit their fat intake to 30 per cent of energy.
• Infants should be fed breast milk. If that is not possible, then they should be fed a formula which contains the same amount and proportion of fatty acids found in breast milk. Essential fatty acids such as DHA are particularly important to ensure adequate brain development.
• Saturated fatty acids should constitute less than 10 per cent of total energy intake and linoleic acid should provide between four and ten per cent of energy intake. The daily cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 mg.
• A high intake of trans fatty acids is undesirable. Governments should not allow foods which contain appreciable amounts of trans fatty acids to be labelled as being low in saturated fat.
• Foods which are high in unsaturated fatty acids should be adequately stabilized with tocopherol (vitamin E).
• The ratio of linoleic to alpha-linolenic acid in the diet should be between 5:1 and 10:1.

 The scientifists concluded that an adequate and appropriate intake of dietary fat is essential for health.
WHO and FAO joint consultation: fats and oils in human nutrition. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 53, No. 7, July 1995, pp. 202-05

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Asthma & Trans Fatty acids
It has long been suspected that the intake of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with the development of asthma and allergies in children. The n-3 (linolenic) and n-6 (linoleic) fatty acids have been particularly suspect, but no data has been available to indicate whether the configuration (cis or trans) of these acids plays a significant role. A team of medical researchers from Germany and New Zealand now report that there is a strong link between the intake of trans fatty acids and the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema in 13- to 14-year-old children. The association was particularly strong when the analysis was limited to trans fatty acids stemming from hydrogenated vegetable oils such as found in margarine, biscuits, cakes, and potato and other chips. No association between the intake of cis (natural) fatty acids and asthma and allergies was observed. In other words, hydrogenated vegetable oils whether found in margarine, cookies, french fries or chips are bad for children and may be a primary reason for their asthma and allergies. The study was performed by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood group and included extensive data from 10 European countries concerning fatty acid intake and prevalence of asthma and allergies.
Weiland, Stephan K., et al. Intake of trans fatty acids and prevalence of childhood asthma and allergies in Europe. The Lancet, Vol. 353, June 12, 1999, pp. 2040-41 (research letter)

TRANS FATTY ACIDS AND HYDROGENATED OILS
The dangers of trans-fatty acids in the diet have recently received scientific attention that is long overdue. To understand the toxic potential of trans-fatty acids, you have to know how they effect the body's use of EFAs.

EFA's have a chemical structure which is polyunsaturated. Technically, this means that each molecule of an EFA has two or more double chemical bonds. The double bonding twists the molecule, giving it a serpentine shape. When incorporated into a cell's membranes, the snake-like EFA molecules disorder fluidity and flexibility to the membrane. EFA's, unfortunately, are rather unstable when exposed to air. The double bonds break down rapidly, producing a toxic form of fat that can be detected in food by its rancidity. Preservatives may be added to food to prevent this breakdown from occurring, thereby increasing the shelf-life of the food. A natural preservative for fatty acids is vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), but the most commonly used preservatives are the synthetic anti-oxidants, BHT and BHA.

A more efficient way to prolong the shelf-life of the food, is to hydrogenate the fatty acids, destroying the EFAs. In hydrogenation, the double bonds are broken by hydrogen gas and the unsaturated fatty acids become saturated with hydrogen. This means that all sites for chemical bonding are filled. Naturally saturated fatty acids are commonly consumed in meat and dairy products. They are also manufactured in your liver and stored in your body's fat cells. Saturated fatty acids are straight, not twisting, in shape, and impart stiffness and solidity to membranes. Human cell membranes usually have one saturated fatty acid lined up along-side one unsaturated fatty acid, producing just the right blend of stiff-ness and flexibility for responding properly to signals sent from other cells.

In present-day food processing, the hydrogenation of vegetable oils is usually not complete. It is partial.
Partially hydrogenated oils are easier to work with and produce a softer foodstuff than fully hydrogenated oils. Chemically, partial hydrogenation converts EFA's into trans-fatty acids which are increasingly being proven a hazard to health.

Further References
 Watts, G. F., et al Relationships between nutrient intake and progression/regression of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by serial quantitative angiography. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 11(Suppl. G.):110G-114G, 1995.
 Enig, M. G., et al. Dietary fat and cancer trends. Federation Proceedings. 37:2215-2220, 1978.
Medical Journal of Australia. 156(Supplement):S9-S16, 1992.
Dopeshwarkar, G. A. Nutrition and Brain Development. New York, USA: Plenum Press, 1981:70-73.
Ascherio, A., et al. Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction. Circulation. 89(1):94-101, 1994.
Longnecker, M. P. Do trans fatty acids in margarine and other foods increase the risk of coronary heart disease? Epidemiology. 4:492-495, 1993.
Willett, W. C., et al. Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women. The Lancet. 341:581-585, 1993.
Mensink, R. P., et al. Effect of dietary trans fatty acids on high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in healthy subjects. The New England Journal of Medicine. 323:439-445, 1990.
Zock, P. L., et al. Trans fatty acids, lipoproteins, and coronary risk. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 75(3):211-216, 1997.
Exit trans fatty acids. The Lancet. 346:1245-1246, 1995.
Longnecker, M. P. Do trans fatty acids in margarine and other foods increase the risk of coronary heart disease? Epidemiology. 4:492-495, 1993.
Willett, W. C., et al. Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women. The Lancet. 341:581-585, 1993.
Zock, P. L., et al. Trans fatty acids, lipoproteins, and coronary risk. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 75(3):211-216, 1997.
Science. 264:532, 1994.
Khosla, P., et al. Dietary trans-monounsaturated fatty acids negatively impact plasma lipids in humans: Critical review of the evidence. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 15(4):325-339, 1996.
Zock, P. L., et al. Trans fatty acids, lipoproteins, and coronary risk. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 75(3):211-216, 1997.
Katan, M., et al. Trans fatty acids and their effects on lipoproteins in humans. Annual Review of Nutrition. 15:473-93, 1995.
Zock, P. L., et al. Trans fatty acids, lipoproteins, and coronary risk. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 75(3):211-216, 1997.
 

Make mine butter thank's