A common ingredient in some processed foods seems to be "Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil."\n\nI've even seen it in chips, crackers and other common snack foods.\n\nWhat exactly is this? Is it a Trans Fat or just a regular Saturated Fat? Or is it an oil that, when consumed over the course of several years, can lead to Atherosclerosis?\n\nPaul
201475
Hydrogenation is the process of heating an oil and passing hydrogen bubbles through it. The fatty acids in the oil then acquire some of the hydrogen, which makes it more dense. If you fully hydrogenate, you create a solid (a fat) out of the oil. But if you stop part way, you a semi-solid partially hydrogenated oil that has a consistency like butter, only it's a lot cheaper.\n\nBecause of that consistency, and because it is cheap, it is a big favorite as a butter-substitute among "food" producers. It gives their products a richer flavor and texture, but doesn't cost near as much as it would to add butter.\n\nUnlike butter or virgin coconut oil, hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats. A trans fat is an otherwise normal fatty acid that has been "transmogrified", by high-heat processing of a free oil. The fatty acids can be double-linked, cross-linked, bond-shifted, twisted, or messed up in a variety of other ways.\n\nThe problem with trans fats is that while the "business end" (the chemically active part) is messed up, the "anchor end" (the part that is attached to the cell wall) is unchanged. So they take up their position in the cell wall, like a guard on the fortress wall. But like a bad guard, they don't do their job! They let foreign invaders pass unchallenged, and they stop supplies at the gates instead of letting them in.\n\nIn short, trans fats are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide. They interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function. And that is the definition of a poison. Your body has no defense against them, because they never even existed in our two billion years of evolution -- so we've never had the need or the opportunity to evolve a defense against them.
317011
No, it's not true.  First of all, it's the fat in cod liver oil that might raise your total cholesterol.  There is no cholesterol in cod liver oil (even if there were, the impact of dietary cholesterol is minimal) because cholesterol is the membrane of cell walls in animals/fish etc.  Oil has had all that filtered out....duh.\n\nSecond of all, the raise is probably not a bad thing.  You see, fish oils like cod liver oil increases your HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  This, of course, causes your total cholesterol to rise but IMPROVES your cholesterol panel.  It's the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol that you are concerned with.....not total cholesterol.\n\nIf it's a concern for you, take a supplement called Policosinal.  This supplement has been shown to decrease cholesterol the same amount as statin drugs like Lipitor.  It also increases your HDL at the same time (something Lipitor can't do).  Statin drugs cause cancer (a fact VERY few doctors will bother to warn you about) and should be avoided unless you have heart disease, in my opinion.  Policosanol does not.  Also, consider having an ultrafast CT of your heart done at the cardiology center of your local hospital.  For a couple of hundred bucks, this fast, non-invasive test will tell you how much, if any, atherosclerotic plaquing you have in your coronary arteries.  How much you have is very important information for making treatment decisions.  Have the scan redone every few years and track any disease progress.\n\nhttp://www.policosanol.com/monograph.htm
314214
temperance in all things is the key. Yes, you can have too much flaxseed oil.\n\nIf you are worried about your omega 3,6, and 9 fatty acids, you can let your worry go with a few tips.\n\nEat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Don't have great variety at one meal, but over a week or two.\n\nInclude almonds, walnuts, soy beans, ground flaxseed, each week (soy beans once or twice a week, the rest have 1/4 cup each up to every day (about six almonds, etc). That will adequately cover your omegas.\n\nremember, not long ago we didn't know omega 9 existed, nor vitamin B15, but people were doing alright on a balanced diet.\n\nI am a total vegan, have been for 15 years. If you choose to use oil, like flaxseed oil, just be temperate, and you don't need more than a teaspoonful a day, with all the other sources of omegas. olive oil is great for omega 9.
169233
Well if your as mad as hell at the FDA then you will not want the answer from the AMA, at least I am guessing. True you can have an elevated total cholesterol and not have CVD. It's really a matter of how flexible your vessels are. It's when they become rigid do the have the potential to fissure or crack, which gives the cholesterol a harbor to form a fatty plaque. These plaques may eventually break off or totally occlude a vessel. This results in blockage in blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke. \nI wish I had the info in front of me to let you know how to keep the vessels pliable. Diet and exercise are definitely helpful. Aging naturally makes the vessels more stiff, but I would look into some supplement that have a good reputation. Do some research.
289010
there's a simple solution,don't eat nothing from McDonald's anymore...but still,maybe there's something wrong with your cholesterol,everything is greasy there...and salty too
56921
Peanut oil is what I use in my deep fryer and it works good.\n<Peanut oil is often used in cooking, because it has a mild flavour and burns only at a relatively high temperature. It is also known as groundnut, arachis, or arachide oil.\n\nSome people believe that the processes used in the production of groundnut oil make it less dangerous, or even benign, to peanut allergy sufferers than unprocessed nuts. Nonetheless, most sufferers avoid it.\n\nArachis oil is used in many products, such as food, and creams. There was a scare in the media a few years ago that the rise in nut allergies, especially peanut allergies, might be attributable to the common use of the oil in nipple creams, sensitising babies when their immune systems were weak. However, there was no evidence to back it up, and this wouldn't account for the rise coinciding with a rise in asthma and other allergies. It is generally accepted that these products are not a risk unless you have a history of allergies.
138021
Castor oil!  I almost got sick from that stuff!  Liver would be a close second.  :o(
8223
I would say you should try COD LIVER oil that is molecularly distilled and see if you have a reaction.  If it is fine for you then try www.icelandichealth.com\n\nYou are right that it is very important since we are not eating wild and grass fed animals that our bodies developed on and need.
254999
Exercising regularly, eating well (low saturated fats, high fiber, low sodium and high potassium, lots of fruit and veg etc etc), controlling blood pressure and diabetes, and not smoking are all VERY good for you (and your arteries) - but unfortunately have never been shown to actually REVERSE atherosclerosis (blocked arteries). Rather, they will prevent, or slow down, this build-up.\nRecently, a study seemed to show mild reversal of atherosclerosis by HIGH dose statins (medication that lowers cholesterol) - but this is just one study, and cholesterol was lowered much lower than lifestyle changes could ever achieve.\nCertainly do all the things you have mentioned (lifestyle, destressing, taking care of your spiritual health), but have realistic expectations for the benefits they offer.
628200
* Pork fat is the most saturated type of fat in the animal kingdom and can increase the risk of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. \n* Its salty meat is an additional risk for the kidneys, heart and for hypertensive patients. \n* Pigs will eat anything and everything, including their own excreta. This makes their bodies an ideal host for several microorganisms that are known to be hazardous to human health if consumed regularly. \n\nHowever: Scientists are breeding pigs to have the healthy fatty acids found in fish which will be good for the heart, but without the risk of heavy metal accumulation you see in real fish.
461101
Cholesterol and fat are completely independent of each other.  For example, most shrimp is fat free.  However it is loaded with cholesterol.  It just happens to be that most cholesterol laden foods are also high in fat, but foods can be high in cholesterol or fat independently and of themselves.\n\nOur body generates all of the cholesterol we need.  It is not necessary to consume any cholesterol.  Our body has the ability to convert fat into cholesterol.  Saturated fat  is likely to produce LDL, and the healthy fats such as poly and mono would be more likely to stimulate the production of HDL.  As for consuming cholesterol, the generally accepted shcool of thought is that high cholesterol foods containing large amounts of saturated fat are likely to increase LDL cholesterol.  Where as foods containing cholesterol that are low in saturated fat  are likely not increase LDL, and quite possible increase HDL if these cholesterol containing foods contain heathy fats such as those found in many sea food products.  However, it is important to keep in mind that what our bodies do with cholesterol that we consume will vary widely from person to person.  Genetics and predisposition play a significant role in our cholesterol levels.  My wife and I both have very low fat diets.  However, she requires statins to keep cholesterol at healthy levels.  Heredity is th ekey factor here.  Both of her parents, her siblings, and grandparents on mothers side all had high cholesterol.  I hope this was helpful.
226743
Hi there,\nI have my BSc and MSc in human health and nutrition. The focus of my research has been dietary strategies to reduce heart disease risk. I want to help you understand what your doctor has told you so that you can make healthy choice!\n\nSo, you are talking about cholesterol. There are two main types of cholesterol that our doctors will talk to us about:\n\n1. LDL-cholesterol is considered the bad cholesterol because it is a particle that deposits cholesterol in your arteries. The lower your LDL, the better.\n\n2. HDL-cholesterol is considered the good cholesterol because this particle helps CLEAN the cholesterol out of your arteries. It is good to have high HDL.\n\nYour cholesterol levels can affect your risk of heart disease, stroke, coronary atery disease and many other types of "cardiovascular disease". So, for your health, you need to LOWER LDL, RAISE HDL.\n\nTo lower your LDL and raise your HDL without medications, here are some tips: \n\n1.  Take a high-quality fish oil capsule (NOT just a liquid). The capsules are best. Ocean Nutrition Canada or Bioriginals make the best oils. This will raise your HDL and also be good for other types of fat in your blood (called Triglycerides).\n\n2.  Increase your fibre intake! Try whole grains instead of white bread products.  Eat more fruit. Eat more vegetables. Have pulpy orange juice or prune nectar instead of watery fruit drinks or soda pop. Instead of meat, have rice and beans/legumes/pulses a few nights a week. Have oatmeal more often (oats are SO good for you!!) AND if you like cookies, have oatmeal cookies instead of what you normally have. Put ground flaxseed on your yogurt or cereal or in your baking!\n\n3.  Choose lean meats and/or reduce red meat intake. Have fish or chicken more often... experiment with soy products. Some are quite tasty!\n\n4.  Use olive oil or canola oil (instead of lard or other oils) for cooking. Use this oil sparingly and substitute with broths when possible.\n\n5.  AVOID ANYTHING WITH TRANS FAT!!! This fat is TERRIBLE for you!! Trans fat raises your LDL AND lowers your HDL so it is a double whammy of BADNESS.  \n---Look on your ingredients list for the type of fat in the product. Trans fats are often in processed foods (frozen meals, pizzas, chips, cookies, crackers, puddings, etc).\n\n6.  Increase your physical activity. Take the stairs, not the elevator, park far away from where you need to go, get a gym membership, join a walking group, join a city sports league, get a dog and take it for walks twice a day, do yardwork or housework, etc.  All of these will help you have healthier cholesterol levels!\n\n\nI really hope that this helps you to understand how YOU can help your cholesterol levels to be better! I hope that by incorporating some of these ideas in to your lifestyle, that your cholesterol levels will change and that you will feel healthier and more energetic!\n\n:)
293998
Generally accepted among docters and dietists is that healthy fats are:\n- unsaturated fats (that come from oil from plants - like olive oil and sunflower oil)\n- oil from fish\n\nOil from animal origin (saturated fat) is per definition unhealthy and should be used with moderation.\n\nAsk a dietist for detailed information,.
535069
Poly means many, or more than one.\nMono means one\nand unsaturated fats are liquid at room terperature,  This is a good thing. \n\nWhereas saturated fats are still solid at room temperature.\nSo when you eat saturated fats they start to line your veins & arteries ... clog up you liver, heart and other important organs.\nIt's best to stay away from, or limit your saturated fats.\n\nThe best unsaturated fats would be olive oil and fish oils.  They actually do your body good when you include them in your diet.\nFor instance they raise the good cholesterol in your body, and lower the bad.\nAny vegetable oil blend is usually good too. (those are the poly ones)\nIt's the Crisco & margarine type fats you have stay away from.\nAnd, sadly, butter too!\n\nHope this straightened it out for you.\n\nPS ... Your body NEEDS fat for good enzyme fuction ... but too much just packs on the pounds.
91552
Conjugated linoleic acid or CLA refers to a group of positional and geometric octadecadienoic acid isomers of linoleic acid. CLA is not a single substance. In contrast to linoleic acid, all the CLA isomers have conjugated bonds. In an unsaturated organic compound, two double bonds separated by a single bond are said to be conjugated. \nThe Basics. CLA is a newly discovered good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" that may be a potent cancer fighter. In animal studies, very small amounts of CLA have blocked all three stages of cancer: 1) initiation, 2) promotion, and 3) metastasis. Most anti-cancer agents block only one of these stages. What's more, CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and colon.(1)
624014
Nuts are a good fat source.  Your body needs some fat for proper development and function.  Try a nutrition search or USDA web site for proper percentage mix.  Tho fat intake in the USA is easy to find and is usually a problem of too much. Fast food and processed foods are lousy sources of the wrong types of fat.
144028
All these quick-fixes for fat reminded us of DHEA, a wonder compound of the 1990s. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) was supposed to be the Vise Grips of drugs. snake oil?Like the all-powerful super-pliers, it was expected to solve problems yet undiscovered. It was (to overstate it slightly) the cure for which there was no unsusceptible disease.\n\nIn studies over the past 10 years, this naturally occurring hormone prevented cancer and helped fight viruses, mostly in rodents. It restored vitality and libido to the aged and happiness to the depressed, and even slowed the tentacles of Alzheimer's disease. It made vaccines more effective in the elderly, and lowered bad (LDL) cholesterol, thus presumably protecting the heart and arteries.\n\nJust when we began hoping that DHEA would fight flab and change the oil in the old Chevy... along came evidence that DHEA could increase insulin sensitivity, a primary cause of adult-onset diabetes. This blood-sugar disorder affects about 14 million Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association.\n\nAnd it does seem that large doses of DHEA can help fight the bulge -- at least if you're a dog. In a study to be published in Obesity Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists Ilene Kurzman and Gregory MacEwen fed a group of dogs a low-fat, high-fiber diet. Half of the dogs -- chosen at random -- also got a high dose of DHEA, but their identity was not known to the researchers during the study.\n\nDHEA worked: while the control dogs lost 5.5 percent of excess body weight per month, the group treated with DHEA lost 10 percent, says Kurzman.\n\nMeet the cure-all\nBut long before these results were due for publication, DHEA had gained a reputation as a cure-all. After Food and Drug Administration regulations were changed in 1994, it began appearing on drug store shelves as a "dietary supplement."\n\nYet despite years of study and a great deal of new enthusiasm, DHEA is not something that can be recommended for controlling obesity, or much else either. "I would not recommend it for weight loss," says MacEwen, a professor of veterinary medicine who's studied DHEA for almost a decade. "When you look at the rodent studies, you see that they were feeding it at about 0.1 percent of total diet."\n\nfat cell That's a lot -- about 100 times the dose per kilogram of body weight in the pills at your drugstore. (Dietary supplement pills are formulated to restore the DHEA level to what's in the blood of a 30-year-old.)\n\nFurthermore, as MacEwen points out, most of the obesity research has been done in mice and rats. "But a rodent is not a small human, and DHEA may have a totally different effect in people." Specifically, rodents normally have much less DHEA than humans do, so they're not necessarily a good species to test the effects of supplements.\n\nWhat do we know about DHEA?\nIt's a natural hormone produced by the adrenal gland (that's the little critter hitchhiking on the kidney). The concentration peaks in humans about age 25 -- (need we add at the time of peak health and vitality? OK, we added it).\n\nFrom that peak, blood levels decline at about 2 percent per year, raising the prospect that the hormone's disappearance could be linked to all sorts of problems of aging.\n\nLike "not getting it" about cyber-electro-funk music? No. Like decreased immune function, heart attacks, and gaining weight.\n\nIt's not known whether DHEA is actually a hormone, or just a precursor ("raw material") for the hormones testosterone and estrogen. If it's a precursor, then taking supplements could be dangerous -- since estrogen and testosterone can both speed the development of cancers. Indeed, MacEwen says, the only side effect seen in his dog study was an increase in aggressiveness, as the dogs "tended to take on male characteristics toward other dogs." And that's a sign that DHEA is being