Hydrogenated oil

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

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I am trying to find a calcium/vitamin D3 supplement which does not contain hydrogenated oil. The information is not provided in direction leaflets. My GP suggests asking a pharmacist, but I get no clear answer. Are pharmaceutical companies obliged to declare whether an oil listed in ingredients is hydrogenated? How can I find a suitable product?

Dr Fred Kavalier answers your health question:

Pharmaceutical companies (and food supplement and vitamin manufacturers) use a variety of "non-medicinal ingredients" when they manufacture drugs. There are strict European regulations about what ingredients can be used. Companies are required to include all the ingredients (including the inactive ones) in the labelling of the drug. However, these regulations only apply to medicines.

At least four different oils are used in medicine manufacture: arachis oil (peanut oil), soya oil, castor oil and sesame oil. When soya oil is hydrogenated, the label should say "hydrogenated soya oil". When unhydrogenated soya oil is used, the label should say "soya oil".

Unfortunately, there is at least one product (Calcichew-D3) with hydrogenated soya oil that simply says "vegetable fat" on the label. You can look up a list of additional ingredients on the website of the electronic Medicines Compendium emc.medicines.org.uk. Now I have a question for you: why are you so concerned about swallowing tiny amounts of hydrogenated soya oil?

Please send your questions and suggestions to A Question of Health, 'The Independent', Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; fax 020-7005 2182 or e-mail to health@independent.co.uk. Dr Kavalier regrets that he is unable to respond personally to questions.

Private Medical Cover from £30 per month with Independent Compare

Comments

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Hydrogenated soya oil

deeflymaster wrote:

Sunday, 5 April 2009 at 10:25 am (UTC)

If you really had any knowledge of how fats and oils behave in the body doctor, you would answer that question yourself. I quote from the pesticides and chemicals database:

Hydrogenated soyabean oil -Toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity.

In short, hydrogenated oils (trans) are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide
Is that a good enough reason?

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You really have to ask?

cantlook wrote:

Wednesday, 1 July 2009 at 10:57 am (UTC)

Why shouldn't someone do everything in their power to reduce the amount of toxic products they put into their bodies. A tiny bit of hydrogenated oil every day mounts up to a lot over the course of a year. Add to that the tiny amounts of toxic chemicals from breathing pollution, eating takeaways, passive smoking, lead paint, plastics and before you know it your body is wearing itself out trying to eliminate it all. The less junk we take in the better.

It seems doctors these days lose sight of living naturally and just want us to pop pills for everything when it's bad lifestyle that causes the problems in the first place.

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Toxic Oils

drmastercleanse wrote:

Monday, 12 October 2009 at 05:34 am (UTC)

It's a wonder that hydrogenated oils are still found in vitamin supplement. Oils are hydrogenated so that it can extend shelf life but scientists have found that it has adverse health effects. They know about it since the 90s and these oils are still being used! We are basically putting toxic into our body. It's because of stuff like this that we need to watch what we eat and why we need detox diets like the Master Cleanse diet to cleanse the toxic we ingest everyday.

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and why not

tommytcg wrote:

Sunday, 1 November 2009 at 03:03 am (UTC)

buy your D3 separately. I take 5000 iu daily, from the up-to-date advice of MD Joseph Mercola. His site, www.mercola.com, is a bi-weekly, free health newsletter. I doubt if you could get that dose from a combo. You may need to import it from US, its much cheaper there, and maybe it is not yet blocked by the UK Govt, customs, for being more than the daft almost useless RDAs. Nutritrion Discounters in Illnois supply all my needs to Europe.

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