Saturated fats: finally, the wind turns in our favor!
November 28, 2014
Saturated fats: finally, the wind turns in our favor!
Dear reader,
For years I have been saying the opposite of what was said by official health authorities on saturated fats.
– They told you to avoid saturated fats found in butter, meat, eggs,animal fats and tropical oils…
– They warned you against high cholesterol…
– They said that fat, especially animal fat, clogs your arteries, causing heart attacks.
To stay healthy, they recommended a punitive way of life: bread without butter, meat without sauce, brown rice with tasty sauces, healthy salads without dressing and, if possible, without salt.
Lemon juice was barely tolerated. Farewell leg of lamb, coconut, chocolate. Farewell to tasty fun!
No scientific basis
Yet every year that passes brings new studies that destroy the myth that saturated fat clogs the arteries. There is evidence today that the myth that saturated fat creates heart disease (coronary disease, that is to say, disease of the coronary arteries that supply the heart) had no serious scientific basis.
Today, this whole edifice is crumbling down. But the health authorities still have not corrected their official message.
Government anti-fat propaganda continues to run full speed in dietician schools, hospitals, cafeterias, catering…
The simple explanation is mind boggling: nobody wants to “take the risk” to:
1. Recognize that the health authorities were wrong and have lied to us-for 40 years. If it was admitted, the whole profession would be, and that, of course, would open the mythic Pandora’s Box:hundreds or thousands of studies could prove the health authorities wrong, the same people who told us industry-backed fabrications paid for with public funds.
2. Give new guidelines:although many lives are at stake, it is easier to continue to pretend that nothing has changed for as long as possible than admit the truth and try to sweep mounting evidence under the rug…
However, the tide is turning, although slowly. We are not seeing a general stampede yet but some senior authorities are beginning to turn their jackets.
One of the main world health authorities turns its jacket
A first example that precedes many others has just occurred here in the US with the site “UpToDate” [1]. UpToDate is a decision support system based on scientific evidence, conducted by doctors to help clinicians in the field to make treatment decisions. It is recognized and used by medical professionals and universities worldwide. It is the most recognized and used system in the world of Western conventional medicine worldwide.
During the last decade, enlightened scientists’ suspicion grew. An impressive amount of data was gathered suggesting that the link between the consumption of saturated fats and coronary artery disease is either very weak (low) or non-existent.
But recently, a meta-analysis of observational studies proved the absence of any relationship between saturated fat and coronary artery disease (arteries that supply blood to the heart and, when they become clogged, causing heart suffocation or heart attack).
Despite many traditional experts criticism against this study,UpToDate decided the update of its recommendations was inevitable, which is now as follows:
“The chief concern about dietary fats is their role in promoting coronary heart disease; other concerns relate to their possible roles in the genesis of obesity and cancers. Despite decades of research, however, the relationship between fat intake and these health outcomes is not entirely clear. While recommendations from several authoritative United States organizations over the past two decades have emphasized decreasing the total amount of fat in the diet, most research indicates that the type of fat is more important than total fat.” [1]
”The meta-analysis also found that there was no relationship between monounsaturated fat intake and coronary heart disease, but suggested a reduction in coronary heart disease with a higher intake of fatty acids omega-3 polyunsaturated; the benefit of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids remains uncertain.”
“Given these results, we do not suggest avoiding saturated fat per se, although many foods rich in saturated fats are worse for health than foods that contain reduced levels.”
“In particular, we do not think that there is substantial evidence for eating low-fat dairy products (like choosing skim milk instead of whole milk). We continue to advise reducing the consumption of trans fatty acid. “
You have to realize the importance of these revolutionary comments and the earthquake that represents such a declaration.
I am convinced that these UpToDate experts wrote these lines with caution as they are in complete opposition to what has been recommended for about 40 years.
What is interesting to me is that they say they do not “suggest” avoiding saturated fats. To my knowledge, this recommendation was never made in the mode of the suggestion but rather on absolute order and expressed in the most authoritative and definitive manner. It was almost as if the health authorities at the time suggested that the butter or eggs producers apply a skull and crossbones label on their packaging, with the comment: “BUTTER KILLS!” or “EGGS KILL”.
Like in most cases, the source and quality of a fat is more important that a generalization. For example, if you decide to eat meat, dairy or butter, I would suggest you eat only certified organic butter or grass-fed raw butter from a trusted supplier than « regular » commercial butter coming from mistreated cows fed grains loaded with inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, not to mention bovine growth hormones and antibiotics.
Believe me, in the months to come, universities and government authorities will start falling down one by one like dominoes.
No doubt this movement will take a few years to reach general public acceptance but change is certain to come… one of these days, and hopefully sooner than too late.
A Votre Santé – To Your Health
Alain Braux
Sources :
[1] UpToDate
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