Saturated fat

Today we’re going to talk about one of the most powerful and long-lasting myths of the last century. A myth, this is, that may have negatively affected the health of whole populations, that has guided your food choices, and has been erroneously used by medical institutions, food companies and governments.

This myth is called the ‘lipid hypothesis’. It proposes a link between saturated fat and chronic heart disease (CHD). First developed in the 1950s, the hypothesis studied the connection between blood plasma cholesterol levels and CHD.

One of the proponents of the hypothesis was Ancel Keys, an American who published his study about the issue in 1953. In his analysis he used a selection of seven countries, plotting their data on a graph with axis of “percentage calories from fat” against “CHD, deaths per 1000”.

The countries chosen for the study showed a positive correlation between the axis. From Japan, a low consumer of saturated fat with a low incidence of CHD, through Italy, England and Wales, Australia, Canada, and the US at the other end of the scale.

However. In “The Cholesterol Myths”, Uffe Ravnskov redraws the graph, this time including all the countries for which data existed at the time Keys published his study. The result is totally different; instead of a clean line, there appears a chaos of dots with apparently very little relation binding them together. Using the same logic that Keys used, we can, as other bloggers have done, prove a variety of contradictory conclusions if we ignore certain countries.

This, in fact, is exactly what Keys did. After having studied a total of 22 countries, he only included those that supported the hypothesis that he wanted to prove. (We also have to admit that even if he had included all the data from all the countries, his study would still be somewhat weak due to the failure to eliminate other variables, which is the basic rule if you want to prove a certain hypothesis).

The lipid hypothesis is still exactly that; a hypothesis; more studies refute it than support it. However, because it has been so unquestioningly accepted by institutions like the American Heart Association, many food companies, the medical establishment and the 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States, despite the lack of enough concrete evidence, it has filtered into public opinion, and has created much confusion at dinner time.

“The literature about the lipid hypothesis is impregnated with fraudulent material and designed to change negative evidence for positive evidence. This fraud is relatively easy to detect”

Russell L. Smith, PhD

So… what does this all mean for us? It means that the conventional wisdom about saturated fats is based on weak or totally incorrect studies.

From the Weston A Price Foundation:

“Saturated fats are required for the nervous system to function properly, and over half the fat in the brain is saturated. Saturated fats also help suppress inflammation. Finally, saturated animal fats carry the vital fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2, which we need in large amounts to be healthy.”

Coming soon: Which fats should we be eating?

This post is proud to be part of Real Food Wednesdays

La Grasa Saturada

Hoy vamos a hablar de uno de los mitos más poderosos y más duraderos del último siglo. Un mito, eso es, que puede haber afectado negativamente la salud de poblaciones enteras, que nos ha guiado a elegir ciertos alimentos en vez de otros, y que ha sido erróneamente usado por las institutiones médicas, empresas alimentarias y gobiernos.

Este mito se llama "la hipótesis sobre lípidos", y propone un enlace entre la grasa saturada y la cardiopatia isquémica. Desarollado en los años 1850, la hipótesis estudiaba la conexión entre niveles de colesterol en el plasma sanguíneo y la enfermedad cardiaca coronaria.

Uno de los defensores de la hipótesis fue Ancel Keys, un americano que publicó su estudio sobre lo mismo en 1953. En su análisis, usó una selección de siete países, trazando su data sobre un gráfico con ejes de "porcentaje de calorias derivadas de grasa", contra "cardiopatía isquémica, muertes por 1000".
Los países eligidos para el estudio demonstraron una corelación positiva entre los ejes; desde Japón, un comsumidor bajo de grasa y de muertes de cardiopatía isquémica, hasta los EEUU al otro lado, pasando entre los dos por Italia, Inglaterra y Gales, Australia, y Canadá.

Sin embargo. En "The Cholesterol Myths", Uffe Ravnskov rehace el gráfico, está vez incluyendo todos los países de los cuales existían data cuando publicó Keys su estudio. El resultado es algo completamente distinto; en vez de una linea limpia sale un caos de puntitos aparentemente sin mucha relación entre ellos. Incluso, como han hecho otros blogueros, podemos divertirnos un ratito y llegar a una variedad de conclusiones si ignoramos unos cuantos países...
Eso, de hecho, es exactemente lo que hizo Keys. Después de haber estudiado un total de 22 países, sólo incluyó los que apoyaban la hipótesis que quería probar. (También tenemos que admitir que incluso si hubiera usado todos los resultado de todos los países, este estudio todavía se vería muy débil debido a su falta de eliminar otras variables, que es lo básico si quieres probar una hipótesis!)

La hipótesis sobre lípidos todavía sigue como hipótesis, hay muchos más estudios que la refutan en vez de confirmarla. Sin embargo, por haber sido acceptada por tales instituciones como la American Heart Association, muchas empresas alimentarias, la profesión médica, y 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States (las Metas Dietarias para los EEUU de 1977), a pesar de la falta de bastante evidencia concreta, se ha filtrado en la opinión pública, y crea confusion sobre la forma correcta de alimentarse.

"La literatura relevante acerca de la hipótesis sobre lípidos está impregnada de material fraudulento y diseñada para cambiar evidencia negativa por evidencia positiva. Este fraude es relativamente fácil de detectar"
Russell L. Smith, PhD
Autor de Importante Estudio
Sobre Enfermedades Cardiovasculares

Entonces, ¿qué significa todo esto para nosotros? Significa que la sabiduría convencional sobre las grasas saturadas se ha basado en estudios debiles o totalmente incorrectos.

De la Fundación Weston A Price:
"Las grasas saturadas son necesarias para el funcionamiento apropiado del sistema nervioso, y más de la mitad de la grasa del cerebro es saturada. Las grasas saturadas también ayudan a suprimir la inflamación. Finalmente, las grasas saturadas provenientes de alimentos de origen animal transportan las vitaminas liposolubles A, D y K, vitaminas vitales de las que necesitamos grandes cantidades para mantenernos saludables".

Pronto: ¿cuales son las grasas que debemos de comer?

Weston A Price London Chapter: Wise Traditions Festival for Traditional Nutrition

I've never really been much of a milk drinker. Despite piling on enough butter to leave teethmarks, my regular feastings on cheese, and a big taste for fresh yoghurt, milk has just never quite made it onto my personal hit list. It's essential in my tea, and a most welcome addition to the honey in my porridge. But drinking milk by itself has, for some reason, never really been my thing.

Since first encountering the Weston A Price Foundation and reading more and more about Real Food and how far our contemporary diets have diverged from a diet that provides us with what our bodies actually require, I've read more and more about raw milk and the wonders it can do for our bodies. In its natural state, with all its enzymes and nutrients intact, raw milk is a true wonder food, full of goodness for old and young. Sadly, despite numerous attempts, I have been as yet unable to track down raw milk in Spain.