- Friday 03 September / 09h54 (Paris)
| Tuesday, March 11, 2008 | 14:11 |
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New clinical research confirms that natural trans fats are in a league of their own
The results of two new studies by Motard-Bélanger et al and Chardigny, Destaillats et al published in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition* confirm that naturally-occurring trans fatty acids (TFA) in milk are perfectly safe as part of a healthy diet.
Many studies have shown that consumption of industrially-produced trans fats, formed during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil that converts the oil into semi-solids for a variety of food applications, could have negative effects on human health. However, the natural trans fatty acids found in dairy foods and beef, such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and vaccenic acid (VA) have been shown to have heart-healthy and cancer-protective benefits.
“This is really good news for the dairy sector and for the public. We are confident that the occurrence of minute amounts of natural trans fat in dairy easily fit into a heart healthy diet and emerging research reveals that they may even benefit cardiovascular health. It is all the more important that the results from these studies be placed within the context of dietary guidelines and public health policy,” said Christian Robert, IDF Director General.
An accompanying editorial by Willett and Mozaffarian from Harvard University pointed out that the critical public health question remains the identification of ways to reduce the intake of industrial TFA in a healthful and safe manner. As such, they urge continued efforts to eliminate consumption of industrially-produced partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils worldwide.
Contact
| Name: Marylène Tucci |
| E-mail: MTucci@fil-idf.org |
| Web: http://www.fil-idf.org |
| Company: International Dairy Federation (IDF) |
| Address: Diamant Building, Boulevard Auguste Reyers 80 - 1030 Bruxelles |
| Country: BELGIUM |
| Phone: +32 2 706 86 44 |
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