ACTION ALERT
CALL FOR NIH TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF REPLACING ANIMAL FATS WITH INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED SEED OILS
YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED!
VOTING ENDS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH
WITH YOUR HELP, OUR FIRST COMMENT HAS REACHED #4 ON THE LIST!
We have submitted a second very important topic that we want the NIH to put at the top of their research agenda. It only takes a couple minutes to make your voice heard:
Negative effects of replacing traditional fats with industrial seed oils
https://ideabuzz.com/a/buzz/idea/214088/details?submitted=true
Investigate the consequences of replacing traditional fats with industrially produced vegetable oils
Americans have responded to governmental messages to substitute foods high in solid fats and cholesterol with foods containing predominantly unsaturated fats and less cholesterol. This has resulted in a population-wide reduction or elimination of foods that are actually known to be the best sources of both several fat-soluble and water-soluble essential micronutrients, including whole eggs, full-fat dairy, liver and other organ meats, and “red” meats. Simultaneously, Americans have increased the consumption of highly refined vegetable oils to replace traditionally consumed fats such as butter, lard. and tallow.
According to the USDA, salad oils comprised 2% of the total fats consumed in 1909-1919; by 2004 these oils increased to 28% of total dietary fats, resulting in the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids tripling from 13 grams per day to 37 grams per day over that same time period. Soybean oil consumption is estimated to have increased 1000-fold from 1909 to 1999, with the availability of linoleic acid increasing from 2.79% to 7.21% of energy over that time period. (Blasbalg, Hibbeln, Ramsden et al, 2011.) Saturated fatty acid consumption has increased slightly from 50 grams per day in 1909-19 to 56 grams per day in 2004.
The impacts of these major changes, lower micronutrient intakes combined with a radical increase in linoleic acid, have resulted in a myriad of possible negative influences on the public’s health, including increases in the rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and subclinical malnutrition with its negative sequalae. Research on the impact of the changes in dietary fat consumption must be a top priority on the governmental-funded research agenda. This is especially critical in the wake of the recommendation of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which for the first time include advice to increase the intake of liquid vegetable oils.
Recall from our previous ACTION ALERT:
The National Institutes of Health is developing its first 10-year Strategic Plan for Nutrition Research. They are asking for input from researchers and health professionals regarding critical gaps in the existing knowledge of nutrition and where the greatest opportunities lie. They also want to know how these areas of need can best be addressed.
We have an exciting opportunity to give our input in order to help them shape their plan.
ACTION TO TAKE
1. Go to https://ideabuzz.com/a/buzz/idea/214088/details?submitted=true
and scroll down, above the comments to click on the “VOTE” button. This will allow you record a ‘YES’ vote on our statement about industrial oils.
2. If you are new to ideabuzz.com, you will be prompted to sign up—this will only take a minute. Then you can click on VOTE.
3. You can also add comments if you like.
Thank you for your support!
Pam Schoenfeld, MS, RD, LDN, Government Relations
Sally Fallon Morell, President
If we must trust them, we need to verify the facts. Please investigate.