Page 61 - Summer2008

Know Your Fats

SOME ADDITIVES IN VEGETABLE OILS
By Mary G. Enig, PhD

We often hear people say that they consume ane-containing solvents and glues. At very high
vegetable oils and avoid animal fats because levels of hexane in the air, signs of damage to
“animal fats are full of pesticides.” Some animal sperm-forming cells in male rats occur. 3
fats do test high in pesticides, notably butterfat But the big question for the average con-
in conventional milk, cheese and ice cream and sumer concerns the effect of hexane when it is
certain types of seafood, especially catsh, lob- ingested. Government and industry have tended

ster and mollusks. However in a recent survey, to gloss over potential problems. “Because cook-
soy bean oil tested almost as high in DDT, TDE ing oils are processed with solvents containing
and DDE as milk fat. (Conventionally grown hexane, very small amounts may be present in
potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots also tested these products. However, the amounts in cooking

high; sh contained levels four times greater than oil are too low to have any effect on people.” 4
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those in butterfat. ) As for whether hexane causes cancer, of-

By now you know that consumption of cial statements show a similar lack of concern:
vegetable oils is associated with many health “There is no evidence that exposure to hexane
problems, from cancer and heart disease to increases the risk of cancer in people. No reli-
growth problems and learning disabilities in chil- able information is available on whether hexane
dren. The answer to the problem of pesticides in causes cancer in animals.” This is because very
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animal fats is not to replace them with vegetable few studies have been carried out to determine
oils but to avoid commercial versions of these the carcinogenicity of hexane. One of the few did
animal foods and choose pasture-raised, or at  nd an increase in liver cancer in female mice
least organically raised, versions instead. And, after exposure for two years; no increase was
as we have pointed out in these pages, vitamin found in male mice or in rats of either sex. 6
A from animal fats and organ meats provides And there may be other adverse effects.
powerful protection against dioxins. 2 According to the Material Safety Data Sheet for
Hexane, the substance is “Harmful or fatal if
HEXANE swallowed.” Ingestion may produce abdominal
One thing you will not nd in animal fats pain, nausea and symptoms that parallel those of

like butter, egg yolks and meat fat is hexane. This inhalation, including “lightheadedness, nausea,
food-grade gasoline is the dominant solvent used headache and blurred vision. Greater exposure
in oilseed extraction throughout the world. It is may cause muscle weakness, numbness of the One thing

very volatile, ammable and explosive—causing extremities, unconsciousness and death.” Inter- you will not

many explosions and res in vegetable oil plants, estingly, one fact sheet on hexane lists high blood
and even a few in fast food fryers. sugar as a toxic effect. Gastroparesis (literally, find in
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The EPA now categorizes hexane as a HAP paralysis of the stomach, in which the stomach animal
(hazardous air pollutant), included on the list of cannot churn and digest food) is another reported fats like
189 toxic chemicals. Inhalation of hexane can effect. 8
damage the nervous system, leading to numbness In 1997, researchers using a new tech- butter, egg
in the hands and feet, followed by weakness in nology found higher-than-expected levels of yolks and
the feet and lower legs. Paralysis may develop pentane, hexane, heptanes, octane and benzene meat fat is
with continued exposure. Most at risk are those derivatives in all six hexane-extracted samples of
working in closed industrial facilities with hex- cooking oils tested. This means that humans may hexane.
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SUMMER 2008 Wise Traditions 59