"Trans fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fats"

"Some fats are worse than others"

The FDA is phasing out artificial trans fats from the food supply, but people should limit their intake of saturated fats, too, which can also cause heart disease. There are three main types of fat: unsaturated, saturated and trans fats.

UNSATURATED FAT: These are the good fats, and doctors say they should be the majority of fat that people eat. For cooking, they usually come in the form of liquid oils, not solid fats. Unsaturated fats are listed on food packages as polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated include soybean oil, corn oil and some fish; monounsaturated fats include olive oil, avocado and many nuts.

SATURATED FAT: These fats are often derived from animals and generally take a more solid form. They raise "bad" cholesterol and can contribute to heart disease. Common sources include high-fat cheeses, high-fat cuts of meat, whole-fat milk and cream, butter, ice cream and palm and coconut oils. The government recommends that saturated fats make up less than 10 percent of daily calories.

TRANS FAT: These are the worst fats, and the FDA is forcing food companies to phase them out. They are made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, usually to create a certain consistency or increase shelf life, and they are also called partially hydrogenated oils. Many of them have already been phased out, but foods that are more likely to contain trans fats are fried items, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, cakes, cookies, pie crusts, stick margarine, ready-to-use frosting and coffee creamers. There are also some naturally occurring trans fats from meat and dairy sources, but the artificial types make up most of what is in the food supply.

"In Men’s Fight Against Aging, How Much Risk to Take?"

"More than 2.3 million American men used testosterone gels, patches, pellets and injections last year—twice the number as in 2008. Some experts say these men may be increasing their chances of having a heart attack."

It isn’t clear what the FDA will do. But whatever the agency decides, doctors will still be able to prescribe the drugs “off-label.” And for many men, the benefits of boosting testosterone levels, a condition often referred to as low-T, are worth the risk.

“Men all want to feel younger and more virile, and they somehow have come to believe that low-T medication is the fountain of youth. But we don’t know whether it’s safe,” says Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

Testosterone is a male steroid hormone that rises sharply when boys hit puberty. It affects the entire body—voices deepen, shoulders broaden, sperm production begins, and height, strength and sex drive all increase. Levels peak in the early 30s and decline gradually, about 1% a year, as men age. (read the whole thing)

The FDA is looking for a few gum chewers

"The Food and Drug Administration is seeking a small business to potentially supply the federal agency with a chewing gum tester. Despite the frivolous sounding nature of the announcement, the search is a serious one, and apparently a growing need. Chewing gum-based pharmaceuticals (such as nicotine gum) are already in use in the United States, and the FDA is looking for a way to measure the dosage and delivery (dissolution) of the medication in such products."

"The FDA is not looking for just any chewing gum tester, but the Erweka DRT-3 (or its equal), manufactured by Erweka, a German company that produces pharmaceutical and life-science testing equipment. The DRT-3 can be seen in action here:

 

 

I thought this was an Obama chewing ready job.     

Cantaloupe growers to plead guilty

"In May 2011, the Jensens began washing the farm's cantaloupes with devices used to clean potatoes and failed to use a chlorine spray feature that kills deadly bacteria, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said in a statement last month.

"The defendants were aware that their cantaloupes could be contaminated with harmful bacteria if not sufficiently washed," he said. "The chlorine spray, if used, would have reduced the risk of microbial contamination of the fruit."

In addition to the [33] deaths, the listeria outbreak linked to the farm in the southeastern corner of Colorado led 147 people across 28 states to be hospitalized, authorities said. One woman suffered a miscarriage."

NBC