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Medical News Today reported on a study on possible health benefits from natural trans fats. According to the study, rats fed a diet enriched with trans vaccenic acid experienced a drop in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

University of Alberta researcher Flora Wang found that a diet with enriched levels of trans vaccenic acid (VA) - a natural animal fat found in dairy and beef products - can reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Results indicated this benefit was due in part to the ability of VA to reduce the production of chylomicrons - particles of fat and cholesterol that form in the small intestine following a meal and are rapidly processed throughout the body. The role of chylomicrons is increasingly viewed as a critical missing link in the understanding of conditions arising from metabolic disorders.

Because VA is the major natural trans fat in dairy and beef products, comprising more than 70 per cent of the proportion of natural trans fat content in those products, the findings support a growing body of evidence that indicates natural animal-based trans fat is different than harmful hydrogenated trans fat created through industrial processing, Wang noted.

Read the entire article for more details.

Chylomicrons. Isn’t that the special gene thingy that creates Jedi?

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photo credit: luvi

Fetched from Food and Drug Administration Consumer Updates

The FDA released an article today about lactose intolerance. According to the FDA release, lactose intolerance relates to a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactose). A couple of interesting statistics the FDA includes:

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) estimates that 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant.

Lactose intolerance is more common in some ethnic groups than others. NIDDK estimates that up to 75% of all adult African Americans and Native Americans and 90% of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant.

The FDA release also mentions what foods are most likely to contain lactose. While most are obviously milk-related products, like ice cream, butter, cheese and yogurt, some are not so obvious. Least obvious is a particular ingredient the FDA specifically mentions:

Beware of foods labeled “non-dairy,” such as powdered coffee creamers and whipped toppings. Some of these foods may contain an ingredient called caseinate, which comes from milk and contains lactose. Look for “caseinate” or “milk derivative” on the label if you are trying to avoid milk products.

See the full article for more information.