Some trans fats are good for you

Natural trans fats found in yogurt, some meats are actually beneficial, U of A research shows. Another hole in the conventional wisdom

Not all trans fats are bad for your heart, new research from the University of Alberta has found. In fact, natural trans fats found in yogurt, cheese, milk and your favourite cut of beef or lamb chop may actually lower your cholesterol and help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, says Flora Wang, a PhD student in the U of A's agricultural, food and nutritional science department. "We want people to realize that natural trans fats are not necessarily detrimental," Wang said.

She noted that the natural trans fats are far different than the industrial trans fats bursting from butter tarts, doughnuts and margarine squares. "We want to attract more attention and focus in the protective effect of these natural trans fats which might even be beneficial in those people with higher risk of heart disease."

Wang's research focused on foods with trans vaccenic acid, the most prominent natural trans fat found in dairy and beef products. For 16 weeks, she fed obese and diabetic rats a diet enriched with trans vaccenic acid and discovered their total cholesterol was reduced by approximately 30 per cent. Low-density lipoprotein -- or bad cholesterol which can build up in and clog the arteries that feed the heart and brain -- was lowered by 25 per cent.

Triglyceride levels -- a form of fat that is elevated in people who are obese, smoke and drink a lot or eat too many carbohydrates -- went down by more than 50 per cent. "It's kind of challenging the traditional idea of bad trans fat," Wang said. "People, if they know there might be some beneficial components of the fatty acid in the dairy product, they probably could make better choices and have wider alternatives."

With this new information, Wang and her supervisor, Spencer Proctor, want Health Canada to reconsider how they instruct manufacturers to label their foods. Cookie-makers and dairy producers are required to report all trans fats (except a healthy fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid) on their food labels, but they don't need to differentiate between the good trans fats and the bad trans fats. Most likely, any trans fats identified in a carton of milk or tub of yogurt is 90 to 95 per cent natural -- and good -- trans fats, Proctor said. "We shouldn't be calling all trans fats equal," he said.

He said fast-food outlets and doughnut shops also need to know that as they drain their foods of bad trans fats because of public pressure to offer healthier alternatives, they may be inadvertently getting rid of the good trans fats, too. Wang and Proctor are now searching for funding and planning a clinical trial to feed diets rich in trans vaccenic acid to people. If the natural fat actually lowers people's risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease, Proctor imagines dairy technology could, in the future, increase the levels of good trans fats in foods to offset the bad ones

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Beware of the dog: you may catch MRSA

They might be man's best friend, but dogs should be sold with a health warning, a study suggests. Letting a dog lick your face, picking up its mess or allowing it to sleep on your bed could put you at risk of catching salmonella, campylobacter or MRSA.

Research commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from the University of Liverpool Veterinary School, has identified health risks in the interaction between man and dog. The findings, published in The Veterinary Record, may enrage the country's 6.5 million dog owners. Men, in particular, may have to learn cleaner habits because it seems they have a problem picking up dog mess.

Risks of infection from dog to Man at present are low. Carri Westgarth, a researcher on the project, insists that she has no wish to create a scare. Owning a dog has positive health benefits ? people who walk them tend to be fitter and have lower blood pressure.

The research has irritated dog lovers. Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, said that Defra should be spending resources on policies to help to tackle animal welfare. She said: "It has told us nothing, except perhaps to use a bit of common sense."

Carolyn Menteith, a dog behaviourist, was also dismissive. "You are more likely to catch a disease from a child than a dog. I do agree owners should clear up after their dogs, otherwise they cause a social nuisance. Men are worse at it and somehow think it's unmanly to be walking around with a nappy sack. But if you can't do that, don't get a dog, get a stuffed toy."

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