Thursday, May 12, 2011

Fat-friendly transgenic meat

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered “healthy” fats. Found mainly in fish, these fats have been linked to beneficial cardiovascular effects and other health benefits, but most farm animals eat grains and other plants that contain omega-6 fatty acids, which are not processed the same way as omega-3 and do not offer the same health benefits. Some studies have even linked a higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease. This makes many meats, especially those from farm animals, a less healthy source of fats in the human diet. A transgenic solution is to convert the dietary fat already being consumed into the healthier version by arming the animals with an enzyme.

Read about how scientists are creating fat-friendly meat with transgenics.

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