The British Heart Foundation

The BHF is a major UK health charity that should be leading the fight against dietary trans fats. It claims that

For more than 40 years, the British Heart Foundation has been at the forefront of the fight against heart disease, funding research, education, care and much more - read more about what we do.

However it has a major blind spot about trans fats. It has very little to say about them on its website, and what it does say is misleading. Since the BHF is in a position to know all about trans fats and the major role they play in cardiovascular disease, one can only conclude that the disinformation they publish is deliberate. Here is an example:

During the process of hydrogenation, trans-fatty acids are formed. These are often called trans-fats. This means that foods that contain hydrogenated vegetable oil (check the food label) will also contain trans-fats. Trans-fats have no nutritional value and because they are treated by the body in the same way as saturated fats, they may have a small effect in raising cholesterol levels.

So, as part of a healthy diet, as well as reducing the total amount of fat we eat, you should try to reduce the amount food you eat that contain hydrogenated and saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated fats. When shopping, choose spreads that are low in both saturated fat and trans-fats - check on the food label.

What they are saying here is untrue and misleading and they must know it, as even the most cursory review of the medical literature on trans fats and heart disease will show it to be so. Trans fats are not "treated by the body in the same way as saturated fats". They behave entirely differently, as molecular misfits in the body that disrupt the proper function of lipids at a cellular level in the brain, muscles, heart and other organs.

The statement that trans fats "may have a small effect in raising cholesterol levels" is equally misleading. Trans fats lower 'good cholesterol' or HDL, and raise 'bad cholesterol' of LDL. This is what they should be concerned about rather than total cholesterol, which is meaningless. The use of the words "may" and "small" is strange - the effect of trans fats in this way is well-supported by evidence and substantial.

In addition, the effect of trans fats on the heart is far greater than indicated merely by the effects on HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. According to the Danish Nutrition Council, this is because the trans fats enter into cell membranes and nerve sheathings, disrupting their proper function, and leading in the case of heart tissues to arrhythmia and cardiac arrest.

The BHF is also trying to undermine the cause of a ban on trans fats, even though Denmark has reported a 20 percent decline in heart disease mortality following its ban. See this from its statement on trans fatty acids of August 2006:

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) does not believe there is currently enough evidence to support a ban on trans fatty acids.

However, we do believe that manufacturers and retailers should clearly label trans fatty acids, alongside fat and saturated fat, on the packaging of food items, so that people can make informed decisions about their diet ...

This is pathetic. The evidence supporting a ban is overwhelming, moreover a ban could be introduced at no cost to taxpayers and at very minor or no cost to the food industry. Going on about trans fat declarations on packaging is increasingly irrelevant, as packaged food manufacturers ditch hydrogenated oils. Increasingly the trans fats we eat come from unpackaged, unlabelled foods. That is why we need a ban!

What is not clear is why the BHF should be actively colluding in the lies, misinformation and obstructionism propagated by the most backward elements of the food industry. If anyone knows, please let us know.

Contact

Website: www.bhf.org.uk.
Address: British Heart Foundation, 14 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6DH.
Heart Information Line: 08450 70 80 70
Tel: 020 7935 0185
Fax: 020 7486 5820
email: internet@bhf.org.uk