Let’s set the record straight on saturated fat

When is the attack on saturated fat going to end?

Rather than tackle the real dietary killer out there — sugar — the mainstream medical establishment is once again taking aim at saturated fat. This time it’s the American Heart Association, with the publication of its new “Presidential Advisory” on dietary fats and cardiovascular disease.

Its goal? To “set the record straight” on the harms of saturated fats. As if they could set the record straight on anything related to nutrition.

The statement says that people should shift away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats. And that at the same time, they should be taking up an overall “healthy” diet, such as the DASH diet or a Mediterranean style diet.

Never mind the fact that the DASH diet (which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been proven time and again not to work — not only in terms of weight loss, but also in terms of overall health outcomes.

However, I am a believer in the Mediterranean-style diet, especially with the modifications I’ve made to it in The A-List Diet, which maximize the weight loss and health benefits. So that’s at least one thing I could get behind.

But then the statement goes on to say that saturated fats should be substituted with “good carbohydrates,” such as whole grains and whole fruits.

Now let me be clear. Whole grains are NOT “good carbohydrates.” Nor does the body distinguish how it gets its sugar. Sugar from fruit is metabolized exactly the same as sugar from a cookie.

Here’s the thing that really has my blood boiling, though…

The reason for this advisory is that the AHA leaders felt that nutrition “commentators” are suggesting saturated fat is innocuous, and they wanted to “clarify.” According to them, the claims about saturated fats are not based on science.

Of course, if you’ve read The A-List Diet, you know that I provide science to back up everything I say about saturated fats — along with all my dietary recommendations.

Of course, the AHA leaders would probably just dismiss that science, as the mainstream medical establishment does with everything that doesn’t fit its narrative.

But, let’s get to the real juice of this story.

The AHA is recommending polyunsaturated fats over monounsaturated fats. Take that in for a second. They’re claiming that soy bean oil, corn oil, and peanut oil are healthier than the fats from olive and macadamia nut oils, nuts, and avocado. Which is so absurd it’s laughable. Monounsaturated fats have been proven time and again to protect heart health.

How can they in one sentence recommend the Mediterranean diet, and then a few sentences later say one of its staples — olive oil — isn’t that healthy?

Of course, all those polyunsaturated fats I mentioned have one thing in common. We grow them in America and subsidize their farming with tax payer dollars. Maybe that’s what makes them darlings of the mainstream medical world.

Talk about fake news. This is the medical equivalent.

This statement is a direct attack on me and people like me — health educators who do not toe the party line. That was even addressed in this report:

“The AHA has always taken the stance that saturated fat is bad and that we should be eating more plant oils, and this view is endorsed by the vast majority of nutritionists who are scientifically qualified.”

So, I guess I am not scientifically qualified? I can’t take that insult too seriously, coming from the AHA. Just look where their advice has gotten us so far.

We’re a nation of sick, diabetic, and obese individuals with heart disease rates never seen before in our history. For the first time, life expectancy is on the decline.

And here’s one more thing. I’d happily go head-to-head with any one of the so-called “experts” behind this report. Pick your measure — cholesterol, fitness level, angiogram — and I bet I would win, hands down.

 

Source:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/881689


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