As most of you already know, partially hydrogenized oils contain trans-fat, a completely artificial plastic-like substance that substitutes for butter here in the U.S. It's extremely bad stuff, clogs arteries, blocks the absorption of healthy fats, etc. A recent medical study concluded that the safe level of consumption is ZERO. (The American Medical Association, wimps that they are, recently claimed that it's safe to consume 1% of your fats as trans-fats.)
For years, I have stayed away from products whose ingredient labels indicated partially hydrogenized oils. Because of this, I though my diet was healthy. I was very wrong. The corporate whores in the U.S. can legally use other names on the ingredient label, such as modifed food starch, vegetable ghee, margarine, etc. When I recently learned this, and studied the labels again, I found I was eating plenty of stuff with that ****: breads, frozen yogurt, popcorn, jams, cookies from a "health store," some oil-based salad dressings, etc.
So what we have here in the good old U.S. is this: the exact same stuff (for example, margarine) that for so many years has been touted as healthier than dairy-based products is actually deadly in the long-run; when you go to the doctor with high-cholesterol, right away they put you on expensive drugs for life and don't even mention trans-fats. I've checked this with several people who have heart disease and go to cardiologists. Not one has been warned about trans-fats being in so many things we buy. If it's mentioned at all, it's incidental to a general discussion about "eating healthy." Well, that's what I thought I was doing.
I'm wondering - those of you in other countries - what's the story with trans-fats in the food you buy there? I have a feeling that other countries would be better protected by their governments. I might be wrong. But I can say without reservation that the U.S. political system is one of the most corrupt in the world. (Obviously not just because of the above. It's just another good example.)
For years, I have stayed away from products whose ingredient labels indicated partially hydrogenized oils. Because of this, I though my diet was healthy. I was very wrong. The corporate whores in the U.S. can legally use other names on the ingredient label, such as modifed food starch, vegetable ghee, margarine, etc. When I recently learned this, and studied the labels again, I found I was eating plenty of stuff with that ****: breads, frozen yogurt, popcorn, jams, cookies from a "health store," some oil-based salad dressings, etc.
So what we have here in the good old U.S. is this: the exact same stuff (for example, margarine) that for so many years has been touted as healthier than dairy-based products is actually deadly in the long-run; when you go to the doctor with high-cholesterol, right away they put you on expensive drugs for life and don't even mention trans-fats. I've checked this with several people who have heart disease and go to cardiologists. Not one has been warned about trans-fats being in so many things we buy. If it's mentioned at all, it's incidental to a general discussion about "eating healthy." Well, that's what I thought I was doing.
I'm wondering - those of you in other countries - what's the story with trans-fats in the food you buy there? I have a feeling that other countries would be better protected by their governments. I might be wrong. But I can say without reservation that the U.S. political system is one of the most corrupt in the world. (Obviously not just because of the above. It's just another good example.)