Be aware of the health effects being researched on interesterified (fully hydrogenated) fats

Sacramento may soon see processed and baked goods with labels of no trans fats that contain no partially hydrogenated oils. But various processed foods instead might contain fully hydrogenated oils mixed with liquid vegetable oils. It's one more way some large food manufacturers use to preserve shelf life of baked goods or other processed foods.

Food manufacturers may mix various vegetable oils in their liquid form with the hard, fully hydrogenated fats and still put on a label reading, "no trans fats" on a package. If you regularly shop at Sacramento markets, read the label about what fat is being used.

What effects on your body would fully hydrogenated oils have when mixed with all types of cooking oils that are liquid? The key is liquid oils are mixed sometimes with the semi-solid fully hydrogenated oils. But how will the fats appear on food labels? See the study, "Dietary n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratios differentially influence hormonal signature in a
rodent model of metabolic syndrome relative to healthy controls."

That new study that appeared on June 28, 2010 in the scientific nutrition-oriented journal,  Nutrition & Metabolism. The study researched the use of fully hydrogenated fats as compared to the old partially hydrogenated fats to see what the new fully hydrogenated fats will do to your body and health system. The study looked at health effects. The study was done using rodents. Studies with humans are necessary and more research is needed.

The clincher is the product could say "no trans fats" on the label because it has no trans fats. Instead, it has a newer fat, that's fully hydrogenated instead of partially hydrogenated. Unfortunately, that kind of fats in processed foods such as baked goods could raise your blood glucose level. Check out the study.

According to the article, "Interesterified Fat--when 'No Trans Fat' is Worse," is when the food industry hires scientists to produce oils with no trans fats that are cost-effective. But there's a problem here, that some nutritionists are asking the public to be aware of. When oil is hydrogenated fully, you have oils that become fully saturated.

In the past, trans fats consisted on partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Today, it's different. The food label can say the food has no trans fats. But what it might really have is fully hydrogenated vegetable oils.

According to the article, "What is Interesterified fat," at the Wise Geek site, "When scientific studies exposed the inherent dangers to public health in trans fats, many processed food manufacturers scrambled to find a suitable replacement. They needed to find a form of fat which would still provide the extended shelf life of partially-hydrogenated oils, but did not contain trans fatty acids. One solution arrived in the form of interesterified fat, a fully hydrogenated product with many of the same characteristics as trans fat, but closer to saturated fat chemically. Interesterified fat is produced through a process called interesterification, which rearranges the molecular structure of fatty plant oils." Also check out on the Dr. Mercola site, the article,   Interesterified Fat Is it Worse Than Trans Fat . For further information, also check out the 2007 study, Nutrition & Metabolism | Full text.

And in the article, Interesterified Fat and Trans Fat, it mentions the Brandeis study. According to that article, it appears that changing or re-arranging the molecules of fats or a combination of fats during the interesterification process may affect how the fats are metabolized in the human body.

The recent joint study conducted in Malaysia and at Brandeis University indicated that not only did IFs depress beneficial HDL cholesterol, it appeared to raise blood glucose levels and decrease insulin production. Elevation of blood glucose and suppression of insulin production are precursors to diabetes.

In addition, further elevation of blood glucose and reduction in insulin levels could be dangerous to those who are already have diabetes. Further studies are needed, but this study has raised real concerns about the use of IFs to replace transfats, especially if they are used widely and without the knowledge of consumers.

Interesterified fat, according to Wikipedia, is a type of oil where the fatty acids have been moved from one triglyceride molecule to another. Interesterification does not alter the fatty acids. This is generally done in order to modify the melting point, slow rancidification and create an oil more suitable for deep frying or making margarine with good taste and low content of saturated fatty acids. This is unlike partial hydrogenation which produces trans fatty acids. There's an article also, Consumer Reports Health Blog: Q&A: What is "interesterified fat"?  And

Now when you have a product made of fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, it's hard enough to be considered inedible at that stage. Then some in the food processing industry mix it with liquid oils. Then that mixture is put through still another chemical processing. The outcome is a semi-solid greasy spread with the consistency of vegetable shortening or margarine.

The end result is called interesterified fat. When you look at studies both at Brandeis University and studies done in the UK, findings focused on the fact that interesterified fat can reduce or depress your HDL (good cholesterol levels that should be high), but get this--more than trans fat reduces your HDL. At the same time the  interesterified fat raised your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels and reduces, depresses, or lowers your insulin level. This might set you up for coming down with type 2 diabetes.

When you see a product labeled "no trans fats," and you see the label says fully hydrogenated oils, you can guess what the product might do to your health. Check out the studies. According to the article at the "Interesterified Fat--when 'No Trans Fat' is Worse,"website, the research on interesterified fat -- which is gaining popularity as food producers try to meet the criteria of having “No Trans Fat” -- also mentioned the studies that were done in Malaysia and at Brandeis University.

Biologist and nutritionist K.C. Hayes, from Brandeis University, collaborated on the research with Dr. Kalyana Sundram, Nutrition Director for palm oil research at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board in Kuala Lampur. Palm oil is a tropical oil. Coconut is another tropic oil. But they affect the body in different ways.

Both Hayes and Sundram are experts on human lipid metabolism and were instrumental in the development of Smart Balance® Buttery Spreads, a blend of vegetable oils that improves the cholesterol ratio, according to the article, "Interesterified Fat--when 'No Trans Fat' is Worse."

The study compared trans-rich and interesterified fats with an unmodified saturated fat, palm olein, for their relative impact on blood lipids and plasma glucose. The study focused on a small group--just 30 human volunteers. The study controlled what fats went into the subjects' diets. Diet periods lasted a month.

This study further confirmed previous studies in animals and humans, indicating once again that trans fats negatively affect LDL and HDL cholesterol. The interesterified fat had a similar, though weaker impact on cholesterol. In a study, the effect of interestified fat on blood glucose was stronger than that of trans fat, raising blood glucose levels by 20 percent within a month.

In another study with rodents, you can guess what could happen when compared to studies with humans. Sometimes, but not always, when rodent models are used, human reactions to similar fats might somewhat resemble the rat's response. But again, you never know until the research is actually done with humans. Or you compare studies done with humans to those done with rodents.

You best bet is to stay aware of or, if you decide away from, full hydrogenated oils. Again, it's your body's individual response that will tell you what oil works best with your own body.

Read this other rodent-based study's own conclusions published June 28, 2010 online in Nutrition and Metabolism. The study is open access. 

See the study or abstract, "Dietary n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratios differentially influence hormonal signature in a rodent model of metabolic syndrome relative to healthy controls ." Authors are Paul R Burghardt, Elyse S. Kemmerer, Bradley J Buck, Andrew J Osetek, Charles Yan, Lauren G Koch, Steven L Britton, Simon J Evans, Nutrition & Metabolism 2010 (28 June 2010) [Abstract] [Provisional PDF].