Trans Fats: Dangerous Plastics That Destroy Health
Many years ago food manufacturers recognized that they were losing significant profits because their products were spoiling. In response, they did two things: They added chemicals to foods to keep them from spoiling, and they began to cook fats for long periods of time to stabilize them. The chemicals, we now know, are problematic for the health of the person consuming them. The fats are, too, because the very long cooking
process changes them from a healthy substance into something that is only one carbon atom away from plastic, and that has a profound influence on the structure of cell membranes.
It works like this. When a cell wears out, your body makes a new one. First it looks around to see what building materials are available to make the new cell. If all you have given your body is “plastic” fat (partially hydrogenated or trans fats), the new cell membrane will be made from plastic. The result is sort of like wrapping individual cells in cellophane. A healthy cell membrane is designed to allow certain things to go into and
out of the cell. It can’t function properly when the membrane is made of cellophane.

Imagine that one of your cells sends a message to your brain telling it that it is hungry. Your body will respond by sending the cell some glucose and insulin.
What happens when the glucose can’t get through the cellophane?
The cell keeps on complaining that it’s hungry, and your body keeps on sending it more insulin and glucose. Much of the insulin and glucose will be put into fat cells. But the original cell will continue to complain that it is hungry, and your brain will continue to make you want to eat so that you can try to resolve the hunger issues (see “Beware of MSG” on page 8 for additional information on hunger). Even so, very little glucose will get through the cellophane into your cells.
In time you will become obese and your pancreas will wear out from making so much insulin.
With all that glucose in your bloodstream, you will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.