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
foodnavigator.com
Very low intakes of saturated fats may be just as bad for you as very high intakes, and could lead to an increased risk of death from stroke – according to new Japanese research. -
MY COMMENT: In the study, the group with the lowest intake of saturated fat (<18 grams daily) had the highest rate of stroke. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 16 gram per day.
Wait for more guidance before you start piling on the grease!
Research
Japan, saturated fat, stroke
You brat eating Wisconsin Cheeseheads should have your cholesterol checked anyway.
We’ve spent billions of our tax dollars trying to prove the diet-heart hypothesis. Yet study after study has failed to provide definitive evidence that saturated-fat intake leads to heart disease - from the article What if Bad Fat Isn’t So Bad?
Cut your saturated fat and reduce your heart attack risk. This is the advice we’ve been following for a couple of decades. Now some researchers are giving the saturated fat-heart disease link another look.
This article by Nina Teicholz on msnbc.com is a well-written summary of the questions surrounding evidence that a diet high in saturated fat alone contributes to heart disease.
If it’s not saturated fat causing all of this heart disease, then what is it? You have to read the very last paragraph of Nina’s article to find a proposed answer to that question.
If you consistently consume more calories than you burn, and you gain weight, your risk of heart disease will increase — whether you favor eating saturated fats, carbs, or both.
Finally, check out this latest study published in the respected American J of Clinical Nutrition in Jan of this year. Researchers pooled the results from 21 studies involving more than 347,000 subjects and found “that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.
Holy cow!
Health Risks
heart disease, saturated fat
Recent Comments