The Health Sciences Institute is intended to provide cutting-edge health information.
Nothing on this site should be interpreted as personal medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before changing anything related to your healthcare.

Trans-fatty acids

Zero Denial

There are good fats and there are bad fats. And then there are trans-fats, the Frankenstein in the world of fats.

As if we already didn’t know just how dangerous trans-fats are, a new Harvard study demonstrates the profound negative effects trans-fat consumption can have on heart health.

This new study may serve as a wake up call for some consumers, but don’t worry; the FDA has come up with a plan to help everyone live in denial.

Goose egg

When vegetable oil is partially hydrogenated, it becomes less oily and has a longer shelf life. These qualities have made partially hydrogenated oil the go-to oil for restaurants and snack-food manufacturers. The down side: hydrogenation also creates trans-fatty acids.

In the e-Alert “The New Big Oil” (8/20/02) I told you about a report from a National Academy of Sciences panel that attempted to set a safe intake level for trans-fatty acids . The report confirmed previous findings about the relationship of trans-fatty acids and the risk of heart disease, and concluded with this recommendation: “The only safe intake of trans-fat is zero.”

That assessment is confirmed again in a study that appeared last month in the New England Journal of Medicine. Led by a team from the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers reviewed the results of a variety of trans-fats studies and came to these conclusions:

Adverse effects of trans-fats are “far stronger” on average than the negative effects of pesticide residues or food contaminants

  • Trans-fat consumption raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol.
  • Trans-fats increase triglyceride levels
  • Trans-fats have been associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death
  • In a 16-year study of more than 84,000 female nurses, trans-fat intake was linked to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes

The Harvard team estimates that as much as 19 percent of the coronary heart disease events in the U.S. every year could be avoided with the elimination of trans-fats from our diets.

“No” doesn’t really mean “no”

Trans-fats are everywhere in the typical Western diet. Deep-fried foods, margarines, bakery products and snack foods are the primary sources of trans-fats.

In the wake of growing awareness of trans-fat dangers, the FDA took action and issued new rules for the labeling of packages, effective January 1, 2006. And the rules are perfect for anyone who wants to pretend he’s getting no trans-fats in his diet.

An article that appears on a Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) web site explains that manufacturers who produce foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans-fats per serving can make the claim that the food contains “zero” grams of trans-fats.

That’s right: According to the FDA, 0.49 equals zero. So if you purchase some “heart healthy” crackers that contain “zero trans-fats,” in just three servings you could easily consume a gram of trans-fats, even though the cracker label has assured you that the trans-fat content is zero.

The HHS article outlines the creative logic behind this government math with a statement from Barbara Schneeman, director of the FDA Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements. Ms. Schneeman points out that current detection methods for trans-fats aren’t reliable below 0.5 grams.

Meanwhile, out here in the real world, there’s a trans-fat detection method that’s 100 percent reliable: If the ingredients panel of a product contains the word “hydrogenated,” then the product contains trans-fats. If the word “hydrogenated” does not appear, look for the word “shortening,” which is a tip that partially hydrogenated oils may have been used.

Help get the word out. Tell your friends and family these two essential trans-fats facts: 1) Trans-fats are dangerous, and 2) You cannot trust ANY claim about “zero” trans-fats until you check a product’s ingredients list.

Sources:

“Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease” The New England Journal of Medicine, Vo. 354, No. 15, 4/13/06, content.nejm.org
“Trans Fats Judged Major Villain in Cardiovascular Disease” Judity Groch, Medpage Today, 4/13/06, medpagetoday.com
“Trans Fat on Food Labels: Now You See It, Now You Don’t” Serena Gordon, HealthDay, healthfinder.gov
“Venous Thrombosis and Conjugated Equine Estrogen in Women Without a Uterus” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, No. 7, 4/10/06, archinte.ama-assn.org
“Study: Estrogen-Only Pills Pose Risk” Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press, 4/10/06, ap.org

Get a free copy of 5 Household Items that Cause Cancer

By texting HSI to 844-539-1128, you are providing your electronic signature expressly consenting to be called and texted (including by prerecorded messages, using an autodialer, and/or automated means) with alerts, stories, reports, and marketing communications from Institute of Health Sciences, LLC. and its authorized representatives at the phone number you provide, including landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also consent and unconditionally agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the arbitration provision and class action waiver contained therein. Msg&data rates may apply. 15 Msgs/Month. You are not required to agree to this as a condition of making a purchase.

Terms & Conditions

The following Terms and Conditions apply to your use of the website located at hsionline.com (the “website”) and any text messages that you send to or receive from the Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C. These Terms and Conditions constitute a binding agreement (“Agreement”) between you (“you”) Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C (“we”, “us”, etc.)  Please read these terms carefully. 

By providing your telephone number to us, texting us a short code listed on the website, or otherwise indicate your agreement to these Terms and Conditions, you are agreeing to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. 

ARBITRATION IS MANDATORY AND THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY AND ALL DISPUTES RELATED TO THIS WEBSITE, THIS AGREEMENT, AND ANY TELEPHONE CALLS, EMAILS, OR TEXT MESSAGES THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US, UNLESS SPECIFIED BELOW OR UNLESS YOU OPT-OUT.

Text Messaging and Telemarketing Terms and Conditions

When you provide your telephone number on this website or send a text message to us with or from a short-code, you agree to receive alerts and communications, and marketing messages including those sent via automated telephone dialing system, text messages, SMS, MMS, and picture messages from Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C at the phone number you provide on this website or the phone number from which you text the short code, including on landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also agree to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. Your consent is not required to purchase goods or services. Message & data rates may apply.

You may opt-out at any time by texting the word STOP to the telephone number from which you receive the text messages.  Call 1-888-213-0764 to learn more.  By providing your telephone number, you agree to notify us of any changes to your telephone number and update your account us to reflect this change. Your carrier may charge you for text messages and telephone calls that you receive, or may prohibit or restrict certain mobile features, and certain mobile features may be incompatible with your carrier or mobile device. Contact your carrier with questions regarding these issues.

Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Any dispute relating in any way to telephone calls, emails, or text messages that you receive from or on behalf of Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C this website, or this Agreement (collectively “Disputes”) shall be submitted to confidential arbitration and shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding its conflict of law provisions.  For the avoidance of doubt, all claims arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state telemarketing laws shall be considered “Disputes” that are subject to resolution by binding individual, confidential arbitration.

If a Dispute arises under this Agreement, you agree to first contact us at 1-888-213-0764 or help@hsionline.com. Before formally submitting a Dispute to arbitration, you and we may choose to informally resolve the Dispute.  If any Dispute cannot be resolved informally, you agree that any and all Disputes, including the validity of this arbitration clause and class action waiver, shall be submitted to final and binding arbitration before a single arbitrator of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in a location convenient to you or telephonically. Either you or we may commence the arbitration process by submitting a written demand for arbitration with the AAA, and providing a copy to the other party.  The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the AAA’s Commercial Dispute Resolutions Procedures, Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes, in effect at the time of submission of the demand for arbitration.  Except as may be required by law as determined by the arbitrator, no party or arbitrator may disclose the existence, content or results of any arbitration hereunder without the prior written consent of both parties. Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C will pay all of the filing costs.  Without limiting the foregoing, YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE TO SUBMIT TO ARBITRATION ALL DISPUTES RELATING TO ANY TEXT MESSAGES OR TELEPHONE CALLS YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US OR ANY ENTITY WITH WHOM WE MAY SHARE YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER.  Further, we both agree that all entities with whom we share your telephone numbers shall be third party beneficiaries of this Agreement to Arbitrate Disputes, and that those entities have the same rights as Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C to enforce this arbitration provision.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be subject to arbitration and may be adjudicated only in the state and federal courts of Maryland: (i) any dispute, controversy, or claim relating to or contesting the validity of our or one of our family company’s intellectual property rights and proprietary rights, including without limitation, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, or trade secrets; (ii) an action by us for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief, whether prohibitive or mandatory, or other provisional relief; (iii) any legal action by us against a non-consumer; or (iv) interactions with governmental and regulatory authorities.  You expressly agree to refrain from bringing or joining any claims in any representative or class-wide capacity, including but not limited to bringing or joining any claims in any class action or any class-wide arbitration.

The arbitrator’s award shall be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no arbitration under this Agreement may be joined to an arbitration involving any other party subject to this Agreement, whether through a class action, private attorney general proceeding, class arbitration proceedings or otherwise.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A RIGHT TO LITIGATE IN A COURT, TO HAVE A JUDGE OR JURY DECIDE YOUR CASE AND TO BE PARTY TO A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.  HOWEVER, YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIMS DECIDED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY THROUGH ARBITRATION.  You shall have thirty (30) days from the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, to opt out of this arbitration agreement, by contacting us by email at help@hsionline.com or by mail Health Sciences Institute, PO Box 913, Frederick, MD 21705-0913. If you do not opt out by the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, then you are not eligible to opt out of this arbitration agreement.

Electronic Signatures

All information communicated on the website is considered an electronic communication.  When you communicate with us through or on the website, by text message or telephone, or via other forms of electronic media, such as e-mail, you are communicating with us electronically.  You agree that we may communicate electronically with you and that such communications, as well as notices, disclosures, agreements, and other communications that we provide to you electronically, are equivalent to communications in writing and shall have the same force and effect as if they were in writing and signed by the party sending the communication.

You further acknowledge and agree that by clicking on a button labeled “ORDER NOW”, “SUBMIT”, “I ACCEPT”, “I AGREE”, “YES”, by texting a short code to us in response to a request on this website, or by clicking or similar links or buttons, you are submitting a legally binding electronic signature and are entering into a legally binding contract.  You acknowledge that your electronic submissions constitute your agreement and intent to be bound by this Agreement.  Pursuant to any applicable statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws, including without limitation the United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, P.L. 106-229 (the “E-Sign Act”) or other similar statutes, YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS AND OTHER RECORDS AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED THROUGH THE WEBSITE.  Furthermore, you hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature, delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by other than electronic means You may receive a physical paper copy of this contract by contacting us at help@hsionline.com.

Privacy Policy

Please read our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.  In the event of any conflict between these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy, these Terms shall control.

Contact Us

You may contact us by telephone at 1-888-213-0764 or by email at help@hsionline.com.