i got my copy of _Nutrition Action Healthletter_ in today's mail, usually it
is just full of the usual propaganda stuff from the low-fat/vegetarian
lobbies, but on occasion, they have something useful, so i thought i'd share
this with you guys:

        "Trans Fat and Breast Cancer"
        "Women with breast cancer have higher levels of trans fats in their
bodies than other women, suggesting - but not proving - that eating trans
may raise the risk of the disease, says a new report from the European
Community Multicenter Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and
Breast Cancer (EURAMIC).
        Trans fats are found in most margarines and in many kinds of french
fries, fried chicken or fish, pies, cakes, cookies, and other foods made
with shortening.
        The researchers measured trans and other fats in tissue samples
taken from the buttocks" [OUCH!] " of 291 women with breast cancer and 407
similar healthy women in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and
Switzerland.
        The women who had eaten higher levels of trans were almost 4 times
more likely to have breast cancer than the women who had eaten less trans -
but only if they also ate low levels of polyunsaturated fats. (Polys are
largely found in full-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise, nuts, and
vegetable oils - except palm and coconut.)
        Why?  Scientists think that polyunsaturated fats may help keep cells
from proliferating.  And 'the trans may be blocking the polys from carrying
out that beneficial role,' explains Lenore Kohlmeier, a University of North
Carolina researcher who co-authored the study.
        As long as there are enough polys, the trans fats have little
impact, she adds.  But if polyunsaturated fats are low, the trans may keep
them from doing their job.
        It's too early to conclude that trans fats cause breast cancer.
'This is the first study and it needs to be confirmed,' cautions Kohlmeier.
'But it does lend support to recommendations to minimize trans fat.'  Those
recommmendations are designed to prevent cardiovascvular disease.
        'Trans intakes and fat stores are higher in the U.S. than in
European countries,' she adds."