Fred Kummerow | |
---|---|
Born | Friedrich August Kummerow October 4, 1914 |
Died | May 31, 2017 Urbana, Illinois, United States | (aged 102)
Citizenship | American |
Education | Ph.D. |
Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
Known for | showed link between trans-fatty acids and heart disease |
Spouse | Amy Kummerow (died 2012) |
Children | Max (son); Jean, Kay (daughters) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biochemistry |
Institutions | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
Fred August Kummerow (October 4, 1914 – May 31, 2017) was a German-born American biochemist. A longtime professor of comparative biosciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Kummerow was best known as an opponent of the use of artificial trans fats in processed foods, carrying out a 50-year campaign for a federal ban on the use of the substance in processed foods.[2] He was one of the pioneers in establishing the connection between trans fats and heart disease, and he helped to cement the inclusion of trans fats into the Nurses' Health Study.[3][2] He also helped discover that it is oxidized cholesterol, rather than the cholesterol, that causes heart disease.[4]