Persephone O'Donnell wrote:

>Having always thought that trans-fatty acids are automatically bad for us,
>I did some further research this morning. It seems that not enough
>experiments have been done to say *definitively* that these substances
>cause us harm. However,in excess, it looks as if they probably cause
>damage to our cardiovascular systems and brains by becoming a structural
>part of our cell membranes.
>
>

I don't think it's a good idea to treat *all* trans-fatty acids as
equivalent to each other, just as all saturated fats do not have the
same effects.  The particular trans fat found in milk and (free range)
beef is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and this fat appears to be
beneficial.  It would be a mistake to infer from the fact that the
artificial trans fats in margarine or Oreos are bad that this one is bad
too.  And of course it would be just as much a mistake to think that
becaused CLA is good, trans fats in general are harmless.

I *thought* it had been shown that trans fats in general tend to raise
Lp(a) levels, an independent risk factor for heart disease.  This, at
least, is what Enig and Fallon say, although I have learned that they
sometimes base conclusions on a single study.  I'm not sure if this
conclusion is based on more robust data.

Todd Moody
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