Next time you happen to visit a fast-food joint, check out the frying section. That crackling grease can’t be good for you, despite the banners noting that the hot oils contain “no saturated fat.” A new study shows that the heated oils contain something far worse than saturated fat.The study results were presented at the 2005 American Oil Chemists’ Society meeting in Salt Lake City by researchers from the University of Minnesota. They found that when highly unsaturated vegetable oils are heated at frying temperature—about 365 degrees Fahrenheit—for as little as 30 minutes, a highly toxic compound forms in the oil: HNE, or 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal. The chemical is produced when soy, sunflower and corn oils are heated. Heating soy produces three additional toxic compounds.
The toxins are highly reactive with the body’s proteins and nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. HNE results from the oxidation of linoleic acid. Several reports have linked the chemical to various diseases, including atherosclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and liver abnormalities.
Repeatedly heating an oil—that’s what happens in fast-food joints—increases the content of HNE. No wonder Morgan Spurlock, who lived on fast food for a month and then documented it in the film “Super Size Me,” experienced such a rapid health decline. The stuff is so bad that you should avoid it at all times, even during so-called junk food days. It’s not just junk food; it’s death food.
©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.
