Free Republic

Trans-fatty acids (TFA) are a major cause of cardiovascular diseases. These harmful fats can accumulate along artery walls, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attacks. Studies indicate that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) can undergo trans-isomerization, a molecular reconfiguration that transforms them into TFAs when heated at 150°C or higher. This raises the question of whether these sulfur compounds also promote the trans-isomerization of UFAs in everyday cooking. Understanding the impact of natural sulfur compounds on the cooking process can help regulate TFA intake, particularly for those who avoid processed foods. The researchers first evaluated the effects of...

Last October, embarrassing e-mails leaked from New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene disclosed that officials had stretched the limits of credible science in approving a 2009 antiobesity ad, which depicted a stream of soda pop transforming into human fat as it left the bottle. “The idea of a sugary drink becoming fat is absurd,” a scientific advisor warned the department in one of the e-mails, a view echoed by other experts whom the city consulted. Nevertheless, Gotham’s health commissioner, Thomas Farley, saw the ad as an effective way to scare people into losing weight, whatever its scientific...

Which snack food contains more Trans fatty acids? Fritos corn chips or Cheetos Cheese Puffs? Both have the same, according to their labels — zero grams per serving. Surprised? I was. Not only because these popular, greasy Frito-Lay snack foods contain no trans fats, considered to be ''the worst fats'' in the American diet, but also because their labels already list the amounts of trans fats at all.