From Dr. Mirkin:

A study in the British medical journal, Lancet, shows that people who eat the most partially hydrogenated oils are the ones who are most likely to die of heart attacks (March 10, 2001).

We have suspected for more than 20 years that partially hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, are associated with heart attacks. This study links the risk of heart attacks to partially hydrogenated fats made from fish oils as well as vegetable oils.

Fats are classified into saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Many studies show that eating lots of saturated fats raises cholesterol and increases risk for heart attacks. Substituting polyunsaturated oils for saturated fats helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. However, manufacturers use a chemical process to convert unstable polyunsaturated oils to more stable partially hydrogenated fats, which are similar to saturated fats and appear to be even more harmful. This study shows that it doesn’t make any difference what kind of oil you use; when you add hydrogen to make any oil partially hydrogenated, the chemical structure is different from fats found in nature.

Until we know more, I recommend that you avoid foods that include partially hydrogenated oils as much as possible. Read the list of ingredients on all processed foods such as breakfast cereals, bakery products, frozen foods, margarine; and avoid fried foods in chain restaurants.

Folks, here is another reason to avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Use the naturally occurring oils like fish oils, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil. Frying can be done in tallow, lard, coconut oil and butter.

MacDonalds up until 1985 used tallow to fry their french fries. Since then your buddies at the NCEP have made this politically incorrect. Now just about all fast food restaurants use partially hydrogenated soybean oil to fry in. Thats healthy, huh!!!

–W. Greene D.C.