Tag: inflammation

Does Cooking With Oil Create Trans Fats?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Note: This post was updated on 11/24/2013 to correct a typo in the temperatures required to isomerize fats.

Q. How exactly is trans fat created? If I bake with some (say, 1/4 cup) oil in a batter, does that make trans fats?

A. We’ve all read a lot about the dangers of trans fats.  Most of the trans fat in our diet comes from artificially hydrogenated oils that are still widely used in food manufacturing. These “Franken-fats” are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that have been twisted into an unnatural configuration called a trans-isomer. This means that the molecule contains the exact same number and type of atoms as it did before, but they are arranged in a different shape.

But what a difference that small change makes!  Polyunsaturated fats and their trans-isomers produce completely opposite effects in the body. While PUFAs help to improve cholesterol profiles and reduce your risk of heart disease, trans fats contribute to heart disease by fueling inflammation, raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Continue reading “Does Cooking With Oil Create Trans Fats?” >

Farmed Salmon Gets an Anti-Inflammatory Makeover

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The latest nutrient data from the USDA shows that farmed Atlantic salmon has undergone what is perhaps the most dramatic nutritional makeover in history.

Salmon is known for being rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and, as you know, the anti-inflammatory diet is very big these days. (The recognition of inflammation as a key factor in heart disease and other common diseases was hailed by Time Magazine as one of the Top Ten Medical Breakthroughs of 2008.)

In 2006, I caused quite a stir by pointing out in my book, The Inflammation Free Diet Plan, that farmed salmon was actually highly inflammatory. When I first published the IF Ratings, a 3-ounce serving had an IF Rating of -491.

As I (and others) pointed out, farmed Atlantic salmon was quite high in arachidonic acid, an inflammatory fatty acid from the omega-6 family. The problem was that farmed salmon were being fed a diet rich in omega-6 vegetable oils rather than a more natural diet of omega-3 rich fish and algae. As a result, their flesh was unnaturally high in omega-6 fats.

Fish farmers apparently got the message! Big changes in aquaculture practices have resulted in farmed Atlantic salmon that is much lower in arachidonic acid…so much lower, in fact, that the most recent samples tested by the USDA had an IF Rating of +775 per 3 ounce serving!

So, after years of warning people to avoid farmed salmon, especially if they were trying to follow an anti-inflammatory diet, I’m now putting farmed salmon back on the menu!

Living Well to 100

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

What would it take to live to 100—in good health? An international consortium of researchers recently gathered at Tufts University in Boston to debate the answer. This meeting brought together heavy-hitters from every corner of medical research—cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, nutrition, obesity management, experimental genetics, sleep research, and more.

After two days of research presentations on every aspect of the aging process, the panelists were asked to consider:

What are the top five things we should do if we want to live well to 100?

You might be surprised at the answers. It’s not about expensive medical interventions, drugs, or futuristic technology. According to the best available research, it all comes down to a few simple habits—things we all can do.

Continue reading “Living Well to 100” >

Drugs Are No Substitute for a Healthy Lifesylte

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Just for the record, I am not anti-drug. But when we view drugs as magic bullets, we can easily shoot ourselves in the foot. A recent medical study—funded by pharmaceutical company Amgen—is a perfect example.

The study tested the effects of a drug called Enbrel (entanercept) on subjects with metabolic syndrome. Folks with this syndrome tend to be overweight and the excess fat they carry around their waists produces inflammatory chemicals that increase their risk of heart disease. Enbrel is a potent anti-inflammatory drug that is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis—an incurable condition that often brings crippling pain and disability. Continue reading “Drugs Are No Substitute for a Healthy Lifesylte” >

Why Cholesterol-Reducing Diets Sometimes Fail

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor has probably recommended that you make dietary changes, such as reducing the amount of fat and cholesterol you eat. The problem is that this approach doesn’t seem to work for everyone. For some people, cholesterol levels remain high despite their best efforts on a cholesterol-lowering regime. When diet alone doesn’t work, cholesterol-lowering drugs are usually the next step.

But there may be another solution. A recent study has shed some light on why some people respond to a cholesterol-lowering diet and some do not. Researchers at Penn State discovered that people with high levels of inflammation are less likely to be successful with a cholesterol-lowering diet. Continue reading “Why Cholesterol-Reducing Diets Sometimes Fail” >