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Are fats evil?

P

pumppimp

Well-Known Member
Messages
246
Location
Aberdeen Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Not wanting to get into a low carb debate, but would just like to get your opinions on a talk I had at university today. I study environmental science, although I specialise in micro, I'm trying to get more into the chemical aspects which will help with jobs etc. The talk was by a professor who works for marine scotland on pollutants in the environment and how they end up in organisms (foucusing mainly on marine flora and fauna). As we had talked about lots of different carcinogens and endocrine disrupters a question was asked from the audience and I was intrigued to find the answer.
It was do people with endocrine conditions have their samples analysed at the hospital to search for traces of these dangerous pollutants. The simple answer was no mainly because they understand so much about animals because they are able to collect and analyse dead bodies, and also to collect and disect other specimens. They had discovered that dog whelks in Aberdeen harbour had both male and female sex organs beacuse of a chemical used to stop growth of organisms on ships hulls. The chemical was later banned and the dog whelk population is now back to normal.

My main point was that the prof then started on a bit of a personal rant about fats. He himself trys wherever possible not to eat any and also limits the amount of meat fish dairy etc. His reason is that the pollutants that are most toxic and hang around causing more damage in an organism are hydrophobic (they don't like water) so therefore when introduced to tissues they accumulate in fats. These chemicals then bioaccumulate up the food chain, causing cancer, endocrine conditions etc. This is why he aviods fats at all costs.
What are your thoughts on this?
 
I'll go along with the Prof :D


everything in moderation...........
 
Poor professor, he doesn't seem to realise what really does make you sick is high blood sugar. Cancer cells for instance loves glucose. And highish bg, even below the diabetes limit, raises the risk for dementia a lot.

He does have a point in all the chemicals in the environment. One way to minimise this is to go for organic food. Another is to join Greenpeace or such.
 
Totto said:
Poor professor, he doesn't seem to realise what really does make you sick is high blood sugar. Cancer cells for instance loves glucose. And highish bg, even below the diabetes limit, raises the risk for dementia a lot.

He does have a point in all the chemicals in the environment. One way to minimise this is to go for organic food. Another is to join Greenpeace or such.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately no way to avaoid them, even if you eat organic, they will still accumulate over the years. It did make me wonder though, when the girl suggested people be tested he completed agreed and said we should, but we aren't. The hospital has some of my liver that could easily be tested I would love to see how many pollutants I had picked up over the years. And then wether or not there would be any link between endocrine conditions, cancer, enzyme defections and the level of pollutants. Nordic countries have the highest incidence of type 1 I believe but they also have some of the highest levels of pollutants due to climate and ocean cirulations. It all gets dumped nearer the poles apparently.
 
I'm sure he is right but many foods collect pollutants. The only way we can minimise this is to have a good spread of foods, grow your own etc and reduce the risk. Fats have good stuff as well as bad so avoiding them isn't the answer
 
Well I usually go fairly low fat and I don't eat red meat I only have chicken turkey and fish.This is my personal choice but not because I worry about pollutants or chemicals I just feel lower fat is best for me but I would not try to persuade others to do it each to their own choice I say
 
Well, we type2 diabetics can look on sugars as evil and fats as saviours. It's down to looking at 2 evils and deciding for yourself which one will kill you first.
I need to take the omeprazole drug so that I can eat otherwise I get heartburn so bad I have to stick my fingers down my throat and throw up. The drug also helps prevent oesophageal cancer. The drug has side effects that many people regard serious enough so as not to take them. So what are you going to do? You look at what extends your life, how much you're quality of live is affected, and you makes your choice. Your prof is obviously not a diabetic, so to me, his opinion is of no consequence.


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It's not the fats that are evil, it's the hydrophobic pollutants, he should know better to conflate the two.

And I'm always intrigued, how do you get organic sardines?

There is certaintly an argument to limit the intake of oily fish for children and pregnant women - anyone heard of minimata disease?
 
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