–We shouldn’t forget the unintended consequences of dietary recommendations. The American Heart Association’s position on saturated fat pretends to be science-based but is not, writes Gary Taubes, in a brilliant and wildly popular guest post published here on CardioBrief late last week. The AHA’s statement, which recommends that saturated fats be replaced with polyunsaturated…
Changes In Eskimo Diet Linked To Increase In Heart Disease
July 29, 2016 by 7 Comments
New paper explores the fascinating history of research into the Eskimo diet. The Eskimo diet and its effect on the heart has been a source of confusion and contention for decades. The observation that Eskimos, who traditionally consumed large amounts of saturated fat and small amounts of carbohydrates, had low rates of heart disease appeared…
New Analysis Of Old Study Delivers Another Blow To Traditional Diet Advice
April 13, 2016 by 2 Comments
–Replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils lowered cholesterol but didn’t improve outcomes A new analysis from a long-forgotten study dating to the 1960s adds to mounting doubts over a cornerstone of dietary advice for more than 50 years: the demonization of saturated fat in the diet. Although in recent years the nutritional establishment has retreated…
Recipe For Disaster: The New US Dietary Guidelines
January 18, 2016 by 4 Comments
The science of nutrition is a disaster. For a variety of very good reasons it is nearly impossible to perform high quality, long term randomized controlled trials to provide satisfactory answers to most of the pressing questions of the day. But many experts are convinced they do know the answer to many of these questions….
Study Questions Conventional Wisdom About Trans Fats
September 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Could a little trans fat found naturally in meat and dairy actually be protective? Amid the stormy debate over dietary recommendations regarding saturated fats and carbohydrates, there’s been one area of calm and consensus. Nearly everyone seems to have agreed that trans fats have no place in the diet. The FDA’s recent move to ban trans…
Studies Provide Little Support For Guidelines On Dietary Fats And Supplements
March 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The precise cardiovascular effect of dietary fats and supplements has been the subject of heated controversy. Although there is no strong supporting evidence from clinical trials, current guidelines tend to discourage or minimize the role of saturated fats and trans fats and to encourage the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Two new studies published today help clarify…
Back To The Future: Resurrected Data From 1960s Trial Might Impact Contemporary Dietary Fat Debate
February 5, 2013 by 2 Comments
In an exceedingly strange turn of events, data from a clinical trial dating from the 1960s, long thought to be lost, has now been resurrected and may contribute important new information to the very contemporary controversy over recommendations about dietary fat composition. The American Heart Association has long urged people to increase their consumption of…
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