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Here is an article that may interest some folk: Diet foods that can wreck your diet http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/gh/eatwell/health/a9diet11.htm Now, what about one of the greatest confidence tricks in the health food business, namely that of the use of "partially hydrogenated" oils or fats instead of unprocessed fats or oils? Almost every margarine or dairy alternative that is touted as being safer than butter or full fat diary products for the heart and for lowering elevated cholesterol contains partially hydrogenated fats. Nobody has ever yet defined what is meant by the word "partially" but, if one is to judge by the guarded responses of manufacturers, this term could apply as legally to 90% hydrogenation as to 5% hydrogenation. Apparently, the degree of hydrogenation certainly is above the 50% mark. Why does the FDA not require by law exactly what the degree of hydrogenation is? Or why does it not require the label to state that "any statement claiming that this product is of benefit in preventing heart disease has not been evaluated by the FDA", as is the case on vitamins and herbs? To me, this smatters of enormous hypocrisy and possible victimisation of alternative health companies, since there is no incontrovertible proof that any of the allegedly heart friendly products on the market are beneficial for the heart. Even the great cholesterol scare has not been definitively established and there certainly are competing theories of cardiac disease. Even the claims that large salt intake causes heart disease and high blood pressure have not been universally accepted. It is about time that the FDA (Food & Drug Administration in the USA) and health profession started to be more critical of others besides the alternative specialists, for their house is far from being in immaculate order. After all, medical research lately has been expressing great concern that heated and hydrogenated oils, even if they come from unsaturated sunflower, canola (rape seed) or flax oils, may pose an even greater risk for the heart than butter and animal fat. This is because the heating or hydrogen processes can create transfats, which are now being implicated as players in the onset of heart disease and cancer. Whether these fears are going to be proved true or not, the fact appears to be, that hydrogenated and heated fats, at very best, are no better for us than genuine dairy products. If you read many of the labels for butter substitutes, energy bars and health cereals, you will often note the presence of palm and coconut oils, which are higher in saturated fats than butter. How the manufacturers can tout their wares as being better than so-called unhealthy foods or full dairy products is amazing. Start reading those labels and see if you really need to be wasting your money and time on these "health" foods or "heart friendly" foods! If you are worried about dairy fat intake, just decrease the quantity of butter and fats that you ingest and, if necessary, make your own mix of cold pressed, raw olive or other unsaturated oils and butter or even keep these oils in the deep freeze and smear on just like butter. I even make a delicious popcorn with a hot air popper (microwaved popcorn tastes like cardboard) sprinkled with a light cold pressed olive oil well shaken in and I now even prefer this to buttered popcorn. Most of the dairy substitutes probably are a total waste of money and possibly even worse for your health than the good old natural products used in moderation. Dr Mel C Siff Denver, USA [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%