Lose It For Ever – Dave Elger

But in the new analysis, which combined the results of 21 previous studies, researchers found no clear evidence that higher saturated fat intakes led to higher risks of heart disease or stroke  -Reuters.com

The level of skepticism linking saturated fat intake to heart disease continues to grow.  Check out Why the Cholesterol- Heart Disease Theory is Wrong (I must admit that I never heard of The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (THINCS).

On a related issue, the American Heart Association recommends that your optimal level of LDL (bad cholesterol level) be < 100 mg/dl .  Can anyone explain these results published in Jan 2009 that reviewed lipid values on nearly 137,000 heart disease patients- In a large cohort of patients hospitalized with CAD, almost half have admission LDL levels <100 mg/dL.?

How about this one- total cholesterol is not a great predictor of risk?   Although the subjects on the low-carb diet ate the most saturated fat, they ended up with the healthiest ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol and lost twice as much weight as their low-fat-eating counterparts.

Stampfer’s findings do not merely suggest that saturated fats are not so bad; they indicate that carbohydrates could be worse.

What got me started on all of this?  Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, who provides a historical, comprehensive review of the research relating to diet, heart disease, and obesity.  In the end, Taubes summaries 10 key conclusions based on “existing knowledge”.   Number one is “Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease, or any other chronic disease of civilization.”   

 

 

Research cholesterol, heart disease, saturated fat

Diet has hardly any effect on your cholesterol level; the drugs that can lower it often have serious or fatal side effects; and there is no evidence at all that lowering your cholesterol level will lengthen your life.   -An article drawn from Thomas J. Moore’s book, Heart Failure, published by Random House, Inc

More to come!  I’m in the middle of The Great Cholesterol Con by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick who presents convincing evidence that supports Moore’s view on cholesterol, heart disease, and saturated fat- NO CONNECTIONS! 

Lose It For Ever cholesterol, heart disease, saturated fat, Thomas J. Moore

When consumed in excess, negative side effects of fish oil capsules can include a heightened risk of vitamin D toxicity and vitamin A toxicity, interference in blood clotting, and an increase in bad cholesterol levels  source:  helium.com

Nutrition cholesterol, fish oil, negative side effects, vitamin a, vitamin D

 

Does eating eggs contribute to heart disease?  Not according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health that “looked at a population of 117,000 nurses who had been followed for eight to 14 years and found no difference in heart disease risk between those who ate one egg a week and those who ate more than one egg a day.”  -medicine.net

The Berkley Wellness Newsletter summarizes the benefits of eggs as part of a healthy diet: 

One large egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein (in both the yolk and the white). The yolk is also a source of zinc, B vitamins (including riboflavin and folate), vitamin A, iron, and other nutrients.

In addition to lutein and zeaxanthin, egg yolks provide choline, an essential nutrient, which is especially important for fetal brain development. Researchers have also identified other compounds in eggs that may have anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, immune-boosting, and antioxidant properties.

While one egg does contain more than 200 mg of cholesterol, according to the Harvard Health Letter, “For most people, only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood.”

It’s highly unlikely that one egg per day is not going to increase your cholesterol or risk for CV disease.   The sausage is another story!

 

Health Risks, Nutrition cholesterol, egg, health

What is Eco-Atkins? “…a low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetable proteins from gluten, soy, nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and vegetable oils.

This study asked 47 overweight men and women to eat either a low-carbohydrate (26% of total calories), high–vegetable protein (31% from gluten, soy, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and cereals), and vegetable oil (43%) plant-based diet or a high-carbohydrate lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (58% carbohydrate, 16% protein, and 25% fat) for 4 weeks each. The study food was provided at 60% of calorie requirements.

Results: Weight loss was similar for both diets (approximately 4.0 kg). However, reductions in LDL-C concentration and total cholesterol–HDL were greater for the low-carbohydrate compared with the high-carbohydrate diet (–8.1% vs –8.7% and –9.6% ). Reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also seen (–1.9% and –2.4% ).

Conclusion A low-carbohydrate plant-based diet has lipid-lowering advantages over a high-carbohydrate, low-fat weight-loss diet in improving heart disease risk factors not seen with conventional low-fat diets with animal products.

Archives of Internal Medicine, June, 2009
MY COMMENT: It makes good sense to include vegetable proteins in your diet (beans, soy, nuts, etc) on a routine basis.

Weight Loss News, Weight Loss Science cholesterol, Eco-Atkins, weight loss

Comedian (and former health writer) Tom Naughton replies to the blame-McDonald’s crowd by losing weight on a fat-laden fast-food diet while demonstrating that nearly everything we’ve been told about obesity and healthy eating is wrong.

Order Fat Head from Amazon. I can’t wait to get my copy. See the movie trailer here.

Health Risks, Nutrition, Research cholesterol, fat head, McDonalds

Total Cholesterol Normal Values: (mg/dl)
< 19 years of age....< 170
> 19 years of age…..<200

Triglycerides (mg/dl
< 150..........normal
150 - 199.....borderline-high
200 - 499.....high
> 500………..very high

HDL (mg/dl) Higher HDL lowers risk of heart disease
< 40 high risk
> 60 low risk

LDL (mg/dl) Higher LDL increases risk of heart disease
< 100...............optimal
100 - 129..........near optimal
130 - 159..........borderline high
160 - 189..........high
> 190………………..very high

Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Risk Classification…………Male………. Female
1/2 Average Risk………………………………………………………….. < 3.4........ < 3.3
Average Risk...................................................... 3.4 - 5.0...... 3.3 - 4.4
2 Times Average Risk........................................... 5.1 - 9.6...... 4.5 - 7.1
3 Times Average Risk ...........................................9.7-23.0...... 7.2 - 11.0

Bio Center Lab

Keep in mind that presence of other cardiac risk factors increase risk even further (smoking, high blood pressure, family history, age, diabetes, obesity). See the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for risk stratification and treatment guidelines.

Health Risks cholesterol, HDL, heart disease, LDL, lipids, risk, triglycerides