1. Re remarks by Donna on May 13, 2007. Mary Enig used the word “Gainsborough”, not “Gainsboro” [see Dot’s contribution on July 5, 2006], but Donna charged that she did. I am impelled to paraphrase Donna:

“I have to question the credence of Donna since she incorrectly stated Enig had said that the University of Florida is in Gainsboro [sic] not Gainesville. Makes me wonder what else is incorrect in Donna’s other writings.”

2. Cindy, are you an scientist?

We who are (or who have been) would not (almost never) refer to “peer reviewed magazines”. You did. (Remarks by you on July 6, 2006.) We usually say “journals” or “journal articles” that are peer-reviewed.

Discovering this error, Donna would probably say: “I have to question the credence of [Cindy]”. BTW, I reckon that you regularly contribute to magazines that are reviewed by your peers.

Peace

I enjoyed reading the initial post by Barbara and the responses, especially Dot’s. I feel compelled to respond, though, to Helena’s charge that “Mary Enig is not a reputable biologist”.

Dr Enig is the lady who, as a graduate student in the early 1970s, was the ONLY person to claim that trans fats were dangerous and should be eliminated from foods. She did much original research all through the 1970s and 1980s, with very little funding, on this and other dietary fats. She is well published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and I for one, am very grateful she has decided to publish beyond the scientific world as well, otherwise much of her ground-breaking research would not be available to the lay public.

Dr Enig continued to claim, all through the 1980s that trans fats were dangerous and it is only very recently, in the 1990s, that other researchers and nutritionists began to take her work seriously and take a hard look at trans fats. As I’m sure everyone has noticed by now, it’s not possible to go grocery shopping anymore without seeing dozens of products proudly proclaming “Zero Trans Fats” or some such.

I think Dr Enig’s reputation speaks for herself. BTW she is is a lipids biochemist, not a biologist. One place to find many articles written for the general public is at a organization founded by Dr Enig and Sally Fallon, the Weston A Price Foundation: www.westonaprice.org

There may have been no long term studies done on canola oil, the fact that the longest living people on earth (Okinawans) cook their food in canola oil should convey the message that it cannot be THAT bad or dangerous. Also, the well designed Lyon Heart study used canola oil with very good results on health and mortality.

All the downsides about HFCS in these comments are true for regular sugar. Sugar beets are nothing like the vegetables people used to eat centuries ago, it is very processed and it raises your blood sugar.