August 2, 2007

Bad fats even more deadly - According to new research from the University of Alberta, there's another reason to avoid trans and saturated fats. Not only do they increase bad cholesterol in arteries, but they also botch up the electricity in the heart, worsening the severity of heart attacks and increasing the risk of death.

Peter Light, pharmacologist and researcher at the Mazankowski Heart Institute, says bad fats stored in the heart cause a buildup of calcium in heart cells. In normal hearts, calcium is pumped in and out of the heart each second, with each wave of electricity. In a heart with too much trans and saturated fat, abnormally high calcium disrupts the heart's electrical flow and can cause arrhythmia - an abnormal rhythm - or hyper contractions, where electrical signals are firing when they shouldn't. The more calcium buildup in a heart, the worse the heart attack and the harder it is for the patient to recover.

"(The trans and saturated fat) can actually cause sudden cardiac death through arrhythmias during heart attack if you have saturated and trans fats present," Light explains.

Good fats such as those found in canola oil do not negatively affect heart rhythms. As a result, not only do people have another reason to balance their diets with healthy fats, but also doctors will have to create a new dietary regimen for patients about to have elective cardiac surgery that will empty their hearts of trans and saturated fats, he says.

For a complete Globe and Mail article on the research findings, go to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070730.wltrans30/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home

Grocery chain converts delis to canola oil - Associated Food Stores announced Aug. 2 that it has converted all 350 of its grocery delis to Nutra-Clear NT high stability canola oil from Bunge.

"We are excited that Nutra-Clear NT gives us the opportunity to help get trans fat out of local diets, while also reducing saturated fat," says Barry Holinski, Associated Food Stores director of bakery/service deli. "Because many of the zero trans fat oils on the market actually raise saturated fat levels, it was important for us to find an oil that does not exchange one unhealthy fat for another."

The grocery chain has said it will cook its fried chicken, burritos, corn dogs and potato logs in the new canola oil. Associated Food Stores operates more than 500 independent grocery stores in eight western U.S. states.

"Made with Canola Oil" symbol gives healthy products bragging rights - To raise consumer awareness of canola oil and foods that contain it, CanolaInfo, an information resource about canola oil, has developed a "Made with Canola Oil" logo for food manufacturers using the oil. The bright, clear symbol that will tell consumers they've chosen a food product with good fat, was officially launched this week at the International Food Technologists (IFT) conference in Chicago.

"As food makers strive to remove trans fat from their products, the use and promotion of canola oil is increasing," says Robert Hunter, assistant vice president, CanolaInfo. "Food companies that are using or have switched to canola oil often want to market this fact. The 'Made with Canola Oil' logo will give them official bragging rights."

CanolaInfo plans to promote the logo's meaning to consumers via the media and directly to product developers and health professionals. The "Made with Canola Oil" logo will be available to food makers using canola oil through a complimentary licensing agreement with CanolaInfo.

Canola helps bring down trans and sat fat levels in new bakery shortenings - Oil and fat manufacturer AarhusKarlsham (AAK) introduced a number of new bakery shortening products this week at the IFT conference in Chicago. The EsSence shortenings combine canola oil with palm oil to maintain functionality, taste and texture of baked products, without sending saturated fat through the roof in an effort to eliminate trans fat.

EsSence 8633 has saturated fat levels of 20-40%, which is much higher than 100% canola oil (7%), but much lower than 100% palm oil (51%), while EsSence 8733 has saturated fat levels of about 30%, according to the company.

Fats that are high in lauric acid (palm kernel oil is 48% lauric acid) can raise saturated fat levels, according to an article by Food Navigator.

Canola oil recommended as part of a healthy salad - Canola oil is a lead player in building a better salad, according to an article on STLtoday.com, the official website of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For complete information on how to incorporate canola oil and other healthy ingredients into salad, go to: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/healthfitness/story/F14D9539BF3EAA438625732800065B78?OpenDocument

Fighting crime with canola - The canola industry might like to take credit for this, but it can't. Police in York, England have busted three car thieves and brought car thefts down by 38.5% through Operation Canola. According to press reports out of that city, auto theft remains one of the police department's biggest problems. No word on why police chose the name Operation Canola.

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