Well, ironically, that statement may not be as accurate as you think. As I mentioned in the podcast this week, I was going to put out a story on a recent study on soybean oil.  Finally, with orgasmic joy, here it is.

From Science News:

New UC Riverside research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression.

Huh, my first thought is, will Jenny McCarthy be up on her soapbox against soybean oil as much as she has been about vaccines? I doubt it. Why? Well, several reasons, mostly that this is real science and the air in her head, cannot begin to comprehend the complexities of any real data, just things that are spoon-fed to her by idiots with an agenda.

Ok, break here.  Science should have only one agenda, and that is to prove or disprove a HYPOTHESIS. If they can reasonably test the hypothesis, then well, it is a theory.  Theories can be replicated repeatedly by different researchers in similar settings. Therefore, theories are pretty well fucking vetted.  We make the mistake of looking for the word “fact.” There is no such real thing, a fact, in science because science, unlike most people, evolves. If you hear the term theory, you can assume that it has been well researched and is applicable in many situations.

This concept is tough for some people out there who want to hear facts.  Well, a fact doesn’t exist in my mind.

So on with this, then.

However, in the study released this month, researchers did not find any difference between the modified and unmodified soybean oil’s effects on the brain. Specifically, the scientists found pronounced effects of the oil on the hypothalamus, where a number of critical processes take place.

“The hypothalamus regulates body weight via your metabolism, maintains body temperature, is critical for reproduction and physical growth as well as your response to stress,” said Margarita Curras-Collazo, a UCR associate professor of neuroscience and lead author on the study.

The team determined a number of genes in mice fed soybean oil were not functioning correctly. One such gene produces the “love” hormone, oxytocin. In soybean oil-fed mice, levels of oxytocin in the hypothalamus went down.

Ok, so, nothing as earth-shattering as we had thought.  The trick with oils is to use any oil sparingly as any oil in your diet.

The research team discovered roughly 100 other genes also affected by the soybean oil diet. They believe this discovery could have ramifications not just for energy metabolism, but also for proper brain function and diseases such as autism or Parkinson’s disease. However, it is essential to note there is no proof the oil causes these diseases

So possibly.  Remember the hypothesis? These studies are an excellent example of a hypothesis.  There is a lack of data to prove or disprove the hypothesis. They have not found the question to the answers they are getting in their research.  Kinda like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, where they have the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything they don’t know the question.

Like I said above, moderation is the key to anything, even the right things.

Ok, I had a question about why I had some angrier posts.  Well, the answer is simple.  I hear a lot of things that are done because someone posted it on the internet.  I know my anger won’t make someone steer clear of something. Since this is a blog however, I am always a little more direct and cranky.  Most anyone I know that reads this probably has their head screwed on correctly.

Be the kind of person your dog and your mom hope you are.