An editorial in the NYT yesterday called for the FDA to prohibit partially hydrogenated oils because the fats they contain promote heart disease.  Now I guess I should agree; for one reason, my family has a history of life-shortening heart attacks.  For another, I live in Wisconsin, a pro-dairy place that has an interest in banning partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.  I have heard that it is illegal in Milwaukee for restaurants to put margarine instead of butter on the table unless a patron asks for it.  My Bunco friends tell me that margarine does not exit your system for 14 days.  I also read on a menu (in a hamburger restaurant) that margarine is one carbon unit away from being plastic.  However, can this editorial be serious?

If we are going to call for the FDA to start banning food products that can promote life-threatening conditions, then is vegetable oil the place to start?  I assume that over time, the FDA has considered and then rejected arguments to ban produts that clearly lead to life-threatening diseases like tobacco and alcohol.  Why does the FDA not ban these substances?  Of course, these substances are addictive, so black markets will appear to fill the void.  I doubt that a margarine black market would appear.  Lots of people would say they are addicted to junk food, but probably not the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in the junk food.  I would assume that innovative cracker and cookie companies would come up with a substitute, although it might be more expensive and might reduce the shelf life of the products.  So, banning vegetable oil might not be subject to that argument.  OK, how about the argument that banning substances that may have long-term health risks is overly paternal where a warning may be as useful?  (I am ignoring the effects of lobbyists for tobacco/alcohol companies or cookie/cracker companies.)

If we go down this road, then what about red meat?  (I can feel my entire home state shudder at that thought.)  Or at least organ meats?  Whole milk?  Egg yolks?  Cream?  Cheese? (Gordon, it's only a hypo -- don't worry).  Now these things at least have some protein attached to them, so in moderation they can be good for you.  Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil may not have healthful uses in any quantity.  But neither does high fructose corn syrup, which is not very good for you, either.  Let's ban that, too.  White sugar has no healthful properties and promotes both cavities and obesity.  Let's ban that while we're at it.

Have I convinced myself that we should ban partially hydrogenated vegetable oil?   No. 

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