I just read an online article in the Vancouver Sun from July 31st titled "Bad Fats Disrupt Electricity in Heart." The researches at the University of Alberta discovered that foods rich in trans and saturated fats can botch up the electricity in the heart, worsen the severity of heart attacks and increase the risk of death. Much has been said about the effect of bad fats on the blood vessels over time.
It has now been shown that there's a clear link between the diet and the way the heart cells contract. This is disruptive to the rhythm of electrical flow in the heart. Bad fat stored in the heart causes an excessive build-up of calcium within the heart cells. In normal hearts, calcium is pumped in and out of the heart each second with each wave of electricity.
I'll try to find the study as the newspaper article does not go into much detail. I am curious.
Re: New information about trans and saturated fats
Interesting article. From other articles I've read it sounds as if the body does not know what to make of trans fats since they do not exist in any natural form. Our bodies have not evolved to recognize or use trans fats. Some times they are taken up by the cells instead of the naturally occurring fats. As a result, trans fats act as metabolic poisons, taking the place of fats your body needs and inhibiting the metabolic operations that are normally enabled by unsaturated fats. It sounds like in the heart they have found at least one of the process that is interrupted, the passing of calcium in and out of the cell. I've read that calcium is required for muscle contraction and magnesium for the muscle to relax. It almost sound like when the number of cells which have bound calcium gets large enough the heart rhythm is disrupted and a heart attack is on the way.
Re: New information about trans and saturated fats
I haven't had much time to spend looking for the study. I will give it a try and see if I can get more details. The article was brief for some reason, perhaps they figure there's not enough interest in these matters. I'll post what I find, if anything.
Re: New information about trans and saturated fats
We can't post links but I think it's ok to post the title of the study. "Metabolic signals of arrhythmia. Heart and Metabolism" Dr. Peter Light published in the European Molecular Biology Organization Journal "EMBO journal". Also noticed it was included in issue Number 33, 2006
of Heart and Metabolism. Unfortunatly it's beond my ability to recap the findings of the study.
Re: New information about trans and saturated fats
Many thanks for the info. I don't know anything about biochemistry, either! I wonder how much of the article I'll be able to comprehend.... It might turn out to be a challenge to read, but I am definitely going to give it a try.
P.S. I just finished reading it. Thank goodness for abstracts and summaries!
Last edited by flowergirl2day; 08-27-2007 at 10:49 PM.
It might turn out to be a challenge to read, but I am definitely going to give it a try.
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