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From: dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: A Brief Description of a Macrobiotic Diet
Message-ID: <18781@wivax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Oct-83 00:01:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: wivax.18781
Posted: Wed Oct 12 00:01:15 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Oct-83 04:56:44 EDT
References: <100@houxk.UUCP>, <698@ihuxr.UUCP>
Organization: Wang Institute, Tyngsboro, Ma.  01879
Lines: 18

Frying does not "mutate fat cells."  There are few, if any, intact
cells in rendered animal fats--what's more, all the cells that are present
are dead!  Same goes for vegetable oils.  Even if "fat cells" could
cancerous within food, this would have no effect on the development
of human cancers (though I guess its a tragedy of sorts for the food.)

Fats can become rancid, especially after repeated use for frying.
Oxygen combines with the unsaturated fatty acids, forming peroxides
and epoxides, compounds with known mutagenic potential.  I was
not aware of any epidemiological studies on this subject, but common
sense tells you that rancid fats aren't particularly desirable.
It's often recommended to squeeze a capsule of Vitamin E into oils
which are to be used repeatedly--Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, and
prevents rancidity.

/Steve Dyer
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