Where are the B**lls?

Many academians and highly respected experts have advocated the value of saturated fats but little is said in mainstream media. The lack of evidence of damage from fats were questioned even 10 yrs ago by daring health professionals at Tufts. Each year the evidence mounts. And so do the cases of autism, low-birth weight babies, preemies, degenerative nerve diseases, neuropsych disturbances, migraines, ADHD, afib, CAD, cancer, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, chronic pain, deaths and excessive morbidity.


Great Balls of Fire

Here are the people I *love* who fearlessly profess their knowledge and experience in hopes of trying to turn the tide of 'low-fat' idiocy and ret*rdness... And the truth never fails.

--Dr.Davis, cardio-thoracic surgeon/author/researcher of TYP book fame and HEARTSCANBLOG pioneer for self-empowered healthcare and cardiology
--Peter of Hyperlipid and biochem brilliance
--UC Davis researchers German and Dillard (see below) persuasively challenge the status quo
--Tufts researchers Lichtenstein et al published 10 years ago an extensive discussion on the downsides of 'fat-modified' food (see below)
--Harvard researcher Dr.Mozzafarian who suggests keeping fat intake 30-40% of the diet and upping saturated fats (see below)



Effects of dietary fats versus carbohydrates on coronary heart disease: a review of the evidence. Mozaffarian D. (Harvard) Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2005 Nov;7(6):435-45.

Recommendations arising from the traditional diet-coronary heart disease (CHD) paradigm, which focuses on effects of total and saturated fat on serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, may have failed to reduce CHD risk and inadvertently exacerbated dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and weight gain, particularly among individuals who are older, female, sedentary, or obese. A suitable dietary paradigm must consider types and qualities of fats and carbohydrates consumed, their effects on a range of intermediary risk factors, and characteristics that may modify individual susceptibility. Based on current evidence, replacement of total, unsaturated, and even possibly S A T U R A T E D fats with refined, high-glycemic index carbohydrates is unlikely to reduce CHD risk and may increase risk in persons predisposed to insulin resistance (H E L L O . . . EVERYONE?). In contrast, a diet that is 1) rich in whole grains and other minimally processed carbohydrates; 2) includes moderate amounts of fats (approximately 30%-40% of total energy), particularly unsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats from seafood and plant sources; 3) is lower in refined grains and carbohydrates; and 4) eliminates packaged foods, baked goods, and fast foods containing trans fatty acids, will likely reduce the risk of CHD.
PMID: 16256001



Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM. (Harvard) Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov;80(5):1175-84

BACKGROUND: The influence of diet on atherosclerotic progression is not well established, particularly in postmenopausal women, in whom risk factors for progression may differ from those for men.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate associations between dietary macronutrients and progression of coronary atherosclerosis among postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Quantitative coronary angiography was performed at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 3.1 y in 2243 coronary segments in 235 postmenopausal women with established coronary heart disease. Usual dietary intake was assessed at baseline.
RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) total fat intake was 25 +/- 6% of energy. In multivariate analyses, a HIGHER S A T U R A T E D F A T intake was associated with a smaller decline in mean minimal coronary diameter (P = 0.001) and less progression of coronary stenosis (P = 0.002) during follow-up.... Monounsaturated and total fat intakes were not associated with progression.
CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women with relatively low total fat intake, a greater SATURATED fat intake is associated with less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, whereas carbohydrate intake is associated with a greater progression.
PMID: 15531663




Saturated fats: what dietary intake?. German JB, Dillard CJ. (University of California, Davis) Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):550-9. Review. PMID: 15321792

• "Public health recommendations for the US population in 1977 were to reduce fat intake to as low as 30% of calories to lower the incidence of coronary artery disease. These recommendations resulted in a compositional shift in food materials throughout the agricultural industry, and the fractional content of fats was replaced principally with carbohydrates. Subsequently, high-carbohydrate diets were recognized as contributing to the lipoprotein pattern that characterizes atherogenic dyslipidemia and hypertriacylglycerolemia."
• "This review summarizes research findings and observations on the disparate functions of saturated fatty acids and seeks to bring a more quantitative balance to the debate on dietary saturated fat... Because agricultural practices to reduce saturated fat will require a prolonged and concerted effort, and because the world is moving toward more individualized dietary recommendations, should the steps to decrease saturated fatty acids to as low as agriculturally possible not wait until evidence clearly indicates which amounts and types of saturated fatty acids are optimal?"
  

Dietary fat consumption and health. Lichtenstein AH, Kennedy E, Barrier P, Danford D, Ernst ND, Grundy SM, Leveille GA, Van Horn L, Williams CL, Booth SL. (Tufts University, Boston, MA) Nutr Rev. 1998 May;56(5 Pt 2):S3-19; discussion S19-28.

• "Dietary Guidelines have emerged over the past 30 years recommending that Americans limit their consumption of total fat and saturated fat as one way to reduce the risk of a range of chronic diseases. However, a low-fat diet is not a no-fat diet."
• "Dietary fat clearly serves a number of essential functions. For example, maternal energy deficiency, possible exacerbated by very low-fat intakes (less than 15% of energy), is one key determinant in the etiology of low birth weight (AND AUTISM??). The debate continues over recommendations for limiting total fat and saturated fatty acid intake in children.... More attention needs to be devoted to the effect of dietary fat reduction on the nutrient density of children's diets."
• "The relationship between high-carbohydrate/low-fat diets and CHD is more ambiguous because high-carbohydrate diets induce dyslipidemia in certain individuals. Obesity among adults and children is now of epidemic proportions in the United States... However, the prevalence of obesity has increased during the same time period that dietary fat intake (both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total dietary energy) has decreased... Obesity is also an independent risk factor for the development of diabetes. The current availability of fat-modified foods offers the potential for dietary fat reduction and treatment of the comorbidities associated with diabetes. However, to date, few studies have documented the effectiveness of fat-modified foods as part of a weight loss regimen or in reduction in CHD risks among individuals with diabetes mellitus."
• "The association between total dietary fat and cancer is still under debate (AND CHEAP INDUSTRIALLY REFINED VEGGIE OILS CONSISTENTLY CAUSE CANCER AND METASTASES IN LAB ANIMALS INCL HUMANS). While there is some evidence demonstrating associations between dietary fat intake and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon, there are serious methodologic issues, including the difficulty in differentiating the effects of dietary fat independent of total energy intake...."