Posted on 04/11/2005 12:16:46 PM PDT by sten
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Executive summary:
The American consumer : the fatten cash cow for business
From 1993 until 2002, I had minor to medium stomache discomfort after eating. I had tried everything to determine the cause and was tired of eating 2 or 4 Tums a day. It wasn't until I travelled overseas for an extended period of time that I started wondering that the issue might not be the food, but what was in the food.
I was down to ham and cheese on white with baked chips and water. About as boring a lunch as you can get. Yet I was still having issues and the doctors would just give an antiacid. Treating the symptom, not the cause.
While in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I realized my problems had gone away. I was even eating at a local MacDonalds (yes, they have a MacDonalds - very odd) with no problems. But when I returned home, the problems immediately returned. I wrote this to help those in a similar situation but have yet to find the solution.
I heard about the law suite regarding trans-fat and Oreo cookies and looked at my boring lunch. The bread used trans-fat as well as the chips. I went with trans-fat free bread (wheat in most cases - make sure to check) and switched to Fritos and a Coke. Greasy as could get, but I figured if I found the cause, I should be fine. Sure enough, no problems. Dinner was also good to go. Later that evening, I looked for a snack and saw one of the Quaker chewy chocolate chip bars (loved those things), but it had trans-fat. I figured, if I have a problem, I have definitely found the cause. Sure enough, it bit me.
Then I realized that people report having less stomache problems while on the Atkins diet. Then it all fell into place. Atkins avoids carbos, which could be a source of much of the trans-fat in a persons diet. Butter, when on Atkins, is normally butter and not a substitute. So there it was, trans-fat.. partially hydrogenated oil.
Partially hydrogenated oils, or trans-fat, seems to be the one ingredient that is the cause of much grief in the US. I have discussed this with oncologists, heart specialists, chemists, hemaglobin specialists as well as a series of well educated friends. Let me see if I can lay this out properly.
Transfat is a butter substitute, roughly $0.05 on the dollar compared to butter. There is a big motivation for the food industry to use it, as increased profits are the meter by which the managers are measured. It can be found in most foods that would normally contain butter (bread, crackers, chips, etc..)
When the food is ingested, the stomache must produce more acids to dissolve it compared with normal butter. This is due to the trans-fats ability to resist breaking down (and thereby have longer shelf life). This increased acid causes gas... which is visually apparent as the person looks like they have a beach ball under their ribs. This increased acid will also have the impact of 'burning' the food, thereby reducing the nutrient efficiency from ~15% to maybe 10%. This would require the person to consume more just to obtain the needed nutrients.
The increased acid, over time, would start to make the most susceptible parts of the stomache raw.. the base of the esophagus. Once raw, the esophagus would get irritated whenever acid were to come in contact. Today, marketing types are calling this problem "acid reflux disease" giving the impression that the person has a condition wholly out of their control. Not true. If you know someone with this condition, tell them to avoid trans-fat entirely for 2 months (this will reduce the acids) and to eat yogurt before going to bed (this will help heal the esophagus).
So what we have here is increased consumption to obtain the same nutrients while also increasing sales in anti-acid products. But what about the long term? Fats are just solidified oils, which are needed by your system to help things work properly. In particular, the transition of materials from the system through the cell walls into normal blood vessels. Trans-fats are basically broken oils. They connect fine to the normal cell, but they retard the influx of nutrients. This in turn will stress the cell, pre-maturally aging the cell. Another effect the breakdown of trans-fat in the stomache is the release of 'free radicals.' (click link for more info) My guess is we will see an increase in organ failures, cancers, heart disease, and various circulation problems.
Consuming antioxident rich foods or liquids can help remove some of the free radicals from your system. Try green-tea (natually has antioxidants) instead of normal tea or soda. This will help reduce the free radicals and potentially reduce the likeihood of cancer, heart disease, and/or circulatory issues.
The US has other issues with its food supply (milk, nutrasweet/asparatame, soda/high fructose corn syrup), but I think this is enough to 'digest' at this point. ;)
If you'd like more info or have any feedback, please feel free to write.
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I think I'll just die, besides being less unpleasant it'll be easier.
Good information. My wife is on a "no-transfat" kick right now, and what you say is important to know.
Flax seed oil?
Like the kind Barry Bonds used?
:(
You mean "Puffy"?
The American diet is riddled with two nasty, poisonous 'food' products: partially-hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup.
They're both garbage, but also both so very difficult to avoid.
Indeed. HFCS in so many things. From what I have read it fools the body and does not get burned as energy. It is a huge contributor to obesity in children.
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