How Trans Fats Almost Killed Me - Literally

[VacMan]

“What? You want me to have a CAT Scan?!” Is all I could sputter after doing a double-take in my doctors office.

“Yes, that’s probably the best thing you can do at this point, and I wouldn’t feel good unless we know for sure what’s going on. Besides it’s probably nothing…” Said my doctor as he stood up from his stool and walked towards the door.

“I want you to go see a specialist at the hospital down in Kent, here’s all the details.” He handed me a pad of paper and sent me on my way.

Let’s back up a second. How did I get here? And why am I only 20 years old and being told to go get a CAT Scan?

It all started when I was working out at my University’s gym, I had begun to really pile on the weight to my squat routine. And I was very happy because I was powering through some intense sessions and having a great time doing it too. That is until… My head started hurting…

Read the full story below: (I'd post the rest here, but it's too long for this board.)

How Trans Fats Almost Killed Me - Literally

[escapee]

Lipid hydroperoxides, an oxidized lipid from heating polyunsaturated based vegetable oil for prolonged period is just as dangerous as Trans fat. It's a foreign lipid that our arterial cells cannot recognize, therefore, the only consequence is inflammation & plague formation.

Heart of Darkness

Diabetes is another key contributor to arterial inflammation.

GLYCATED LDL = Sugar attached to LDL protein our cell can't recognize well.

Glycated LDL Increases Heart Attack Risk

In fact, glycated LDL is more easily oxidized than normal LDL and more easily metabolized by macrophages, the precursors of foam cells of the atherosclerotic plaque,� said Trevisan, a Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine. “This is probably because the sugar molecule attached to the apoprotein B of LDL interferes with the link of the apoprotein with its membrane receptor.�

“Glycated apoprotein B, like glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), is present also in non-diabetics and its increase could be due to temporary hyperglycemia caused by a high-glycemic-load meal, by stress and by other conditions,� he added.

[Stu]

I'm a sucker for a good story, and that was good. Glad to hear you're ok now!

[Matthew Shea]

Interesting story. I seriously hope they fired that cook.

[VacMan]

Thanks escapee, Stu, and Matthew!

Yea... they didn't fire the cook... but she got in trouble with the law and ended up running away.

We knew something was up when she kept asking, "Did you see any cops outside?!"

I'm not sure where she is today, but her life is a pretty interesting story too...

I'll save that for another day

[Andrew Brunelle]

Trans fats will kill you eventually. They do taste good, but death by trans fats is not something I wish upon anyone. When I used to work in a grocery store, I would see all the trans-fatty stuff that people would buy. Boxes and boxes of processed trans-fat-laden foods. And most of them were either overweight or just looked emaciated. So sad, the ignorance of many people in America. It may eventually kill them.

[sgregory]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

Trans fats will kill you eventually. They do taste good, but death by trans fats is not something I wish upon anyone. When I used to work in a grocery store, I would see all the trans-fatty stuff that people would buy. Boxes and boxes of processed trans-fat-laden foods. And most of them were either overweight or just looked emaciated. So sad, the ignorance of many people in America. It may eventually kill them.

I, too , once worked at a grocery store. If I ever doubted the value of the idea of what goes in your body affects every facet of your health, working there certainly left me with little doubt.