Trans Fats harm memory; Obesity costs more than war on terror

A university study points out another danger associated with the consumption of foods high in trans-fatty acids:

November 20, 2014

The health experts have strongly come in support of the reduction or removal of ‘harmful’ trans fats from processed food items as a new study has found that their consumption could impose adverse effects on the human brain, damaging the memory.

Trans fat, an artificially created unsaturated fat, is rampantly used in the processed food in order to improve their texture, flavor and most importantly the shelf life of a food item.

The study was conducted by the researchers at the University of California, San Diego. According to the study group, men who gathered excess trans fat were found to be at a higher risk of memory loss and other related troubles.

Beatrice A Golomb, study lead investigator and a professor of medicine at the University of California in San Diego, said, “Consumption of trans fat has been associated with higher body weight, heart disease and more aggression. I have always asserted that while trans fats raises the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people.” http://www.americaherald.com/trans-fat-rich-junk-food-not-good-for-your-memory-study/21058/

Having trouble remembering things lately? Maybe you’re eating too many trans fats. Found in many fast foods, trans fats are already known to be bad for the heart. But they may harm your memory as well.New research found that some young to middle-aged men who ate a diet high in trans fats had various health issues, including memory problems.

Margarine, snack foods, coffee creamers, some refrigerated doughs, frozen pizza and baked goods like doughnuts can be loaded with trans fats. These fats pack a double-whammy when it comes to cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. They’ve been found to raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower “good” cholesterol (HDL).

The study authors pointed out that trans fats can have a negative effect on cell energy. Trans fats are “prooxidant.” That means they create oxidative stress, which can damage cells and tissues. Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to heart disease and cancer. …

Trans fats are manufactured artificially. They are intended to extend the shelf life of foods. They keep oils in a solid form at room temperature. The US Food and Drug Administration is taking measures to limit the amount of trans fats in food.

Dr. Golomb told dailyRx News that she advises people to eat “foods,” not “anti-foods.”

“I confine the term ‘foods’ to substances that feed cells the nutrients and antioxidants they need to function and remain healthy,” she told dailyRx News. “I use the term ‘anti-foods’ for those artificial substances, including industrially produced trans fats, added to [edible] products that are prooxidant or otherwise adverse to cell health and function.” http://www.rxwiki.com/news-article/high-trans-fat-consumption-may-lead-memory-decline-young-and-middle-aged-men?utm_content=buffer64bdc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer

For decades I have warned people about “anti-foods” such as margarine.

Back in the 1970s, I recall a discussion with someone who was attending the old Worldwide Church of God. I told him that butter was better than margarine and that margarine actually turned black when it was being made. He thought I was probably in error, so he wrote a manufacturer of margarine. The manufacturer confirmed, in writing, that yes, margarine did turn black while it was being processed. Once he got that confirmation, he switched to butter.

While some natural foods contain small amounts of trans fats, the hydrogenation of vegetable oils came about from a USA researcher who got a patent on it over 100 years ago. This caused the consumption of trans-fatty acids to skyrocket and has caused many health problems. Just over a year ago, the USA Food and Drug Administration finally agreed that trans-fatty acids were not safe (see FDA finally rules that hydrogenated trans-fatty acids are not safe).

Junk foods, overeating, and consumption of trans fat ladened foods is dangerous. It is also costly. Notice the following from the BBC:

Cost of obesity ‘greater than war and terrorism’

November 20, 2014

Obesity is now reaching “crisis proportions” according to a new study.

The McKinsey Global Institute said it cost £1.3tn, or 2.8% of annual economic activity – it cost the UK £47bn.

It suggests that it is about the same as smoking or armed conflict and greater than both alcoholism and climate change. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-12127521

November 20, 2014

Obesity is now a threat to the world economy to rival war and terrorism, according to a new report published Thursday.

Taking together the costs of healthcare, of lost productivity and other spending needed to mitigate its impact, consulting firm McKinsey reckons the annual cost of obesity fat now tops $2 trillion, or 2.8% of global economic output. That compares with an estimate of $2.1 trillion for war and terrorism, and for smoking, and is way ahead of alcoholism ($1.4 trillion), illiteracy ($1.3 trillion) and even climate change ($1.0 trillion).

The report is the latest evidence of the spiralling costs of unhealthy lifestyles that combine low levels of exercise (often due to desk-based jobs) with a taste for fatty and sugary foods. And while the problem may have originated in the U.S. and other rich economies, it is now firmly entrenched and growing fast in many countries that are, by most standards, still poor.

The U.N.’s World Health Organization estimates that over one in three adults was overweight in 208, while more than one in 10 was obese. Twice as many people worldwide live in countries where more die from being too fat than from being undernourished. The most frequent causes of death include heart disease and type-2 diabetes. McKinsey estimates that almost half the world’s adult population could be obese or overweight by 2030 if current trends continue. http://fortune.com/2014/11/20/fat-the-2-trillion-burden-on-the-worlds-economy/

There are a lot of questionable items in the Western diet that are supposed to be food. And obesity is a big cost in countries other than the UK, such as the USA.

As I have mentioned repeatedly, the Bible warns about eating things that are not really food:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Refined processed “breads,” refined and artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, and some other items commonly associated with junk foods and hydrogenated fats would seem to be consistent with that warning.

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. And not too much.

The Bible itself warns about obesity, getting fat, and excessive eating (Deuteronomy 32:15-16; Jeremiah 50:11-12; see also Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible).

There are massive problems with obesity in the world today.

Many in the West are not setting the right example when it comes to diet and this does not bode well for the world in the future (Matthew 24:4-22; Revelation 6:5-8). Not all outside the West care for certain aspects of Western diets (watch American foods that gross out foreigners), but sadly, many have picked up a lot of bad dietary habits which have had Western influence.

Try to avoid eating “anti-foods” and eat was is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods?
Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy Are there disadvantages to being overweight? Is junk food really bad for you? Does the Bible discuss overeating and/or obesity? Is overeating having an effect on the US military? What are the ramifications of personal and national health for overeating? What should you eat? This is a sermonette-length YouTubevideo.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
American foods that gross out foreigners A study done in the Fall of 2014 found out which foods that non-USA Americans considered weird or gross that Americans eat. This video discusses those foods, ingredients in some of those foods, and warns against consuming ‘that which is not bread’ (Isaiah 55:2). Dr. Thiel also warns about synthetic vitamins and some of the issues associated with them. He also discusses something promoted by the late Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. This is a video. A partially related written post is titled American ‘foods’ that gross out foreigners.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats.
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? A YouTube video is available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.