tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21048883448737792822024-03-19T05:55:59.460-07:00Nutrition Education ProjectDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-62296871018181341972011-02-21T22:11:00.000-08:002011-02-21T23:34:16.129-08:00Bad dietary advice generates fatalities<span style="font-weight:bold;">Using Open Innovation to Reinvent Primary Care</span> white paper - Final 120710.pdf<br /><br />"For average health outcomes, Americans spend extraordinary amounts of money on health care and do not receive full value for their expenditure. Current estimates suggest that medical costs consume 17 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2025, these costs are anticipated to account for 25 percent of the nation’s total economic output. The rising cost of care is one of the biggest factors suppressing the take-home pay of American workers, particularly for moderate-income families. And currently, 10 percent of the population accounts for the majority of health care costs, further reducing the value derived from health care for most Americans. Not only is this high level of personal expenditure a poor value to the average American, a high level of spending on medical care creates unsustainable cost pressures on U.S. businesses that inhibit their ability to bring competitive products and services to market and jeopardizes our country’s global competitiveness."<br />www.hopestreetgroup.org/docs/DOC-2346<br /><br />The above paragraph neatly sums up America's current dilemma. Spending "extraordinary amounts of money on health care...jeopardizes our country's global competitiveness."<br /><br />What can America do to reduce health care costs? I'd say, reduce the demand for medical services by improving the quality of the food supply and by correcting the mistakes in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). <br /><br />The big hindrance to correcting the government's dietary advice is certain dogmas that have gained widespread acceptance due to corporate influence. For example, the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF) is a sort of vortex of corporate educational influence shaping the content of textbooks, public health messages, advertising, media articles, and news stories. Here's what the IFICF says about itself:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF) is the educational arm of IFIC. IFIC's mission is to communicate science-based information on food safety and nutrition to health and nutrition professionals, educators, journalists, government officials and others providing information to consumers.<br /><br />IFIC's purpose is to bridge the gap between science and communications by collecting and disseminating scientific information on food safety, nutrition and health and by working with an extensive roster of scientific experts and through partnerships to help translate research into understandable and useful information for opinion leaders and ultimately, consumers.</span><br /><br />Note that the IFICF collects and disseminates information and translates research into useful information for opinion leaders. Of course, I would have no problem with these sorts of activities were it not for the fact that bad dietary advice generates fatalities.<br /><br />I did not become aware of the IFICF until after the 2010 DGA document was released on January 31, 2011. An article by Elizabeth Rahavi, RD entitled "New Dietary Guidelines Released by USDA and HHS" attracted me to the IFICF website and, for several days, I explored the site, fascinated by what I was learning. As is my custom when I notice mistakes, I wrote a letter to the CEO of the IFICF.<br /><br /> <br />February 18, 2011<br /><br />David B. Schmidt - President and CEO <br />International Food Information Council<br />1100 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 430<br />Washington, DC 20036<br /><br />Dear Mr. Schmidt,<br /><br />I am a layman who studies nutritional controversies. I've been doing this for more than three decades. For almost that long I've been concerned about certain aspects of the American Dietetic Association's dietary advice.<br /><br />In 2004 I read an article about the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Since the CNPP appeared to be the vortex of nutritional authority that dictates consensus of opinion as to what constitutes acceptable dietary advice, I wrote to the Director and pointed out some erroneous doctrines in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). After several more letters and a phone call to his office he responded, suggesting I submit comment to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which I did. I also wrote letters to each of the Committee members. However, when the 2005 (DGA) document was released, the mistakes remained.<br /><br />It's six years later, the 2010 DGA have been released, and still, the mistakes persist. Thanks to an article entitled "New Dietary Guidelines Released by USDA and HHS" written by Elizabeth Rahavi, RD, I think I now know why.<br /><br />Evidently, for many years, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and similar corporation-funded nonprofits have influenced the content of dietetics education. And since dietitians have long been regarded by government and conventional medicine as the only legitimate dispensers of dietary advice, dietitians were chosen to update the DGA. Question is: are they qualified to do so? It seems not. Why? I suspect their education. Quoting Dr. Samuel Johnson, "The Supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things -- the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit."<br /><br />For several generations, Dietetics education has produced dietitians uniformly indoctrinated with a belief set that favors the interests of the industrial food system. The IFICF website makes clear the origins of this belief set. Now, while I affirm the right of corporations to protect their interests, occasional use of obfuscation and propaganda is not in the best interests of the public health or the corporations that engage in that sort of behavior. To be sure, IFIC educational content is largely correct. But where dietary advice is concerned, it takes only one mistake to generate fatalities.<br /><br />CNPP staff controls all aspects of the Dietary Guidelines revision process from the selection of the DGA Advisory Committee to the writing of the final draft. Here's what the CNPP says about itself. "In formulating these Guidelines every five years, CNPP works to ensure that Americans hear 'one nutrition voice,' with a focus on consistent, factual messages supported by the science." Sadly, CNPP dietitians, food scientists, and nutritionists, appear to be immune to outside influence from scientists seeking to correct mistakes.[1]<br /><br />Thus far I haven't enumerated the mistakes which affect both the quality of the food supply and nutrition messages Americans are exposed to via advertising, media articles, dietetics counseling, and dietetics literature. I'll have another do that. Here's what prominent heart surgeon Dr. Dwight Lundell was saying in early 2009:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">We have done a disservice to the American people and it is time to right the wrong. Let me begin by saying quite emphatically based on scientific fact cholesterol does not cause heart disease...Over 25% of the population takes statin medications. Now there’s a feverish rush to prescribe statin medication preventatively to otherwise healthy people.[2] If statins prevented heart disease, why has heart disease soared year after year and is the number one taker of human life? Just that fact alone should have everyone questioning the validity of the cholesterol theory and taking statin medications.<br /><br /><br />Cholesterol does not cause heart disease–inflammation in the arteries does. What is inflammation and where is it coming from? The answer to that question is both tragic and sad. The very dietary recommendations born of the cholesterol theory of no-fat and low fat foods cause inflammation. Polyunsaturated Omega-6 oils; packaged and processed foods created for shelf life and not long life; sugars and simple carbohydrates create inflammation. This is the cause of an epidemic of heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses.[3]</span><br /><br /><br />More recently, cardiothoractic surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz discussed inflammation on his nationally syndicated TV show in a segment entitled Know Your Omega Fatty Acids.[4]<br /><br />Mr Schmidt, I urge you to look into this. As Dr. Oz noted, the American food supply is drenched in omega-6s and anyone who doesn't take steps to reduce omega-6 intake to a safe level is at risk for chronic inflammatory disease. One can try to balance omega-3s and 6s by increasing omega-3 intake but, as Dr. William Lands observed, that doesn't provide protection from heart attack - it simply improves ones chances of surviving one.[5]<br /><br />I appeal to your sense of obligation to do what's best for this country. Please begin to educate yourself, your staff, and your corporate donors about the omega-6 hazard. The introduction of omega-6 seed oils into the food supply about a hundred years ago amounts to an uncontrolled experiment resulting in an ongoing public health disaster of unimaginable proportions.[6]<br /><br />Finally, although my principle focus has been omega-6, I'm also concerned about excessive fructose intake, the recommendation to restrict total fat intake, and the incessant anti-saturated fat messages.[7] It's dubious practice to use observational studies to justify dietary advice to substitute foods rich in omega-6s for foods containing healthy saturated fats.<br /><br />Regards,<br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901<br />Ph/406-257-5123<br />Nutrition Education Project<br /><br />References<br />1. “In The Face Of Contradictory Evidence: Report Of The Dietary Guidelines For Americans Committee” by Adele H Hite, MAT; Richard D Feinman, PhD; Gabriel E Guzman, PhD; Morton Satin, MSc; Pamela Schoenfeld, RD; Richard J Wood, PhD, Nutrition, Volume 26, Issue 10 (October 2010) published by Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.08.012.<br />2. Note: An ounce of secondary prevention can cost a ton of money.<br />3. The Cholesterol Theory– A Tragedy To Health http://inflammationawarenessnow.com/<br />4. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/know-your-omega-fatty-acids-pt-1<br />5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgU3cNppzO0<br />6. http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/2010/01/david-brown-on-omega-6-fats.html<br />7. http://www.sciscoop.com/controversial-saturated-fat.htmlDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-78717900920398999432010-12-15T19:16:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:50:13.008-08:00Message to Montana LawmakersThe 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is supposed to be released some time this month. From start to finish, the revision process has taken over two and one half years. One wonders if it isn't becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the illusion that the Guidelines are based on reliable scientific evidence. Barring a miracle, it's doubtful the four mistakes mentioned in earlier blog posts will get corrected this time around. <br /><br />For what it's worth. here is my latest message to Montana lawmakers. Actually, I wrote two versions. This one was sent to lawmakers who have already served at least one term in the House or Senate.<br /><br /><br />Dear Senator ________,<br /><br />In January of 2010 I had big plans to send you lawmakers a series of monthly messages pertaining to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Shortly after I sent the second message, a February snowstorm in Washington, DC forced the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to postpone its 5th meeting for two months. Additionally, several lawmakers noted that they would not be returning to the legislature. So, I put the project on hold until after the election. As I resume sending messages, it seems wise to review my reasons for being concerned about the Guidelines. [1]<br /><br />On the whole, both academia and government have failed to warn the public about the major nutritional hazards responsible for the increase in the incidence of obesity, chronic inflammatory diseases, and mental disorders, a direct consequence of the industrialization of the food supply. In the Preface to <span style="font-style:italic;">Food For Nought: The decline in nutrition</span> Canadian biochemist Ross Hume Hall, PhD noted, "Nourishment of the American populace has undergone a startling transformation since World War II. A highly individual system of growing and marketing food has been transformed into a gigantic, highly integrated service system in which the object is not to nourish or even to feed, but to force an ever-increasing consumption of fabricated products."[2]<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Food for Nought</span> was published in 1973. The first Dietary Guidelines for Americans was issued in 1980. The latest edition, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is scheduled for release sometime this month. Normally, it takes about a year to revise the Guidelines. This time, the process has dragged on for more than two years. [3]<br /><br />Tragically, the Dietary Guidelines document is regarded as authoritative by virtually all of academia, the public health sector, and government agencies [4,5]. In fact, many nations throughout the world pattern their own public health nutrition education programs after the American model. I say this is tragic because, from the earliest version, the Guidelines contained four major mistakes. And it's doubtful they'll be corrected this time around [6].<br /><br />In my next message, I'll review those mistakes and suggest a course of action for Montana lawmakers. Meanwhile, it's important to know that the most egregious error has been the failure to warn the public about the omega-6 seed oil hazard. You can familiarize yourself with some of the particulars by watching this 37 minute video presentation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgU3cNppzO0 or by visiting this web page - http://www.omega3sealoil.com/Chapter3_1.html .<br /><br />Regards,<br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901<br />Ph/406-257-5123<br />Nutrition Education Project<br /><br /><br />References<br />1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Byb6upXzU&feature=related<br /><br />2. Excerpt: from the Preface to Food For Nought by Ross Hume Hall, PhD, 1973<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nourishment of the American populace has undergone a startling transformation since World War II. A highly individual system of growing and marketing food has been transformed into a gigantic, highly integrated service system in which the object is not to nourish or even to feed, but to force an ever-increasing consumption of fabricated products. This phenomenon is not peculiar to the American scene and occurs in every industrialized country. The United States, however, has progressed furthest in the transformation. Man can never be more than what he eats, and one would expect that a phenomenon with such profound effects on health and wellbeing as a radically changed system of supplying nourishment would be thoroughly documented and assessed by the scientific community. Such is not the case. The transformation has gone unmarked by government agencies and learned bodies. Government agencies, recipients of the public trust, charged with protecting and improving the public's food, operate as if the technology of food fabrication rested in pre-World War II days. Scientific bodies, supported by public funds and charged with assessing and improving the public's health, ignore completely the results of contemporary methods of marketing food...Failure to monitor and to appreciate the results of rapidly moving technology produces a brutal effect that forms the central theme of this book. Technology founded on mechanistic laws clashes head on with the processes of a natural world which adheres to very different laws. Modern industry, ignoring these biologic laws, molds and manipulates natural processes to suit and to promote its own mechanistic and economic goals.<br /></span><br />3. The Long Road to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/dietary-guidelines-for-americans-2010/<br /><br />4. 1985. HHS and USDA jointly issued a second edition of the Dietary Guidelines. This revised edition was nearly identical to the first. Some changes were made for clarity while others reflected advances in scientific knowledge of the associations between diet and a range of chronic diseases. The second edition received wide acceptance and was used as a framework for consumer education messages. http://www.nutriwatch.org/05Guidelines/dgahistory.html<br /><br />5. The Dietary Guidelines are the basis for the USDA Food Pyramid, and serve as the foundation for nutritional information for Americans. The Guidelines also strongly influence nutrition education, research funding, governmental meal programs including school lunches, as well as providing direction for the food industry, regulatory agencies, consumer advocates, and the media. They have been largely immune from criticism, perhaps a result of their wide application. http://thesilverclouddiet.com/2010/10/scientists-challenge-the-proposed-dietary-guidelines-known-as-the-food-pyramid/<br /><br />6. Abstract<br />Concerns that were raised with the first dietary recommendations 30 y ago have yet to be adequately addressed. The initial Dietary Goals for Americans (1977) proposed increases in carbohydrate intake and decreases in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt consumption that are carried further in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) Report. Important aspects of these recommendations remain unproven, yet a dietary shift in this direction has already taken place even as overweight/obesity and diabetes have increased. Although appealing to an evidence-based methodology, the DGAC Report demonstrates several critical weaknesses, including use of an incomplete body of relevant science; inaccurately representing, interpreting, or summarizing the literature; and drawing conclusions and/or making recommendations that do not reflect the limitations or controversies in the science. An objective assessment of evidence in the DGAC Report does not suggest a conclusive proscription against low-carbohydrate diets. The DGAC Report does not provide sufficient evidence to conclude that increases in whole grain and fiber and decreases in dietary saturated fat, salt, and animal protein will lead to positive health outcomes. Lack of supporting evidence limits the value of the proposed recommendations as guidance for consumers or as the basis for public health policy. It is time to reexamine how US dietary guidelines are created and ask whether the current process is still appropriate for our needs.<br />www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/dept.nsf/.../$File/Hite_Nutrition_2010.pdfDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-92036644151836301212010-02-28T05:40:00.000-08:002010-03-21T06:02:55.692-07:00Omega-6: The Fat That Ruins Your HealthLetter #2 to Montana Lawmakers sent January, 31, 2010<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the result.</span><br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"> Winston Churchill</span><br /><br />Dear Senator _________:<br /><br />In mid October, 2009 the Samueli Institute, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism jointly sponsored a two day workshop entitled Nutritional Armor for the Warfighter: Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Enhance Stress Resilience, Wellness, and Military Performance?<br /><br />On day two, Biochemist Bill Lands, PhD spoke on Why Omega-6 Fats Matter for Your Health. In his opening remarks he said "Pragmatically, I really want primary prevention. I mean, treatment is all well and good. But if you never had to treat something, wouldn't that be a wonderful world? So, how would a pragmatist create a wonderful world? Well, if you know biochemistry, you can trace the molecular events that caused the disease or the undesired consequence and prevent the underlying cause of the problem. That means you have to trace back - and we can do that - the context of this molecular event. And the context is competition between omega-3 and omega-6 for storage and for action".<br /><br />These past four decades Americans been relentlessly bombarded with messages to consume less butter, choose low fat dairy products, eat less red meat, eat fewer eggs, etc. At the same time we've been told to replace animal fats with margarine and polyunsaturated vegetable oil products. But foods manufactured from seed oils are high in omega-6 fats. It's estimated that Americans consume 10 to 30 times more omega-6 fats than omega-3s. Both omega-3s and omega-6s are essential fatty acids. That means we have to eat them to be healthy. However, they need to be consumed in roughly equal amounts because the body does not have the ability to sort nutrients to balance their concentration in tissues.<br /><br />Dr. Lands continues, "I heard several times yesterday about these chronic diseases that are preventable. If that's true, how come nobody's preventing them, for crying out loud?... These data have been out for a long time. Everyone knows that. Ancel Keys sort of knew this but he never really talked about omega-3 and omega-6. And it was a tragedy because we have had 40 some years when we could have really been preventing something and we didn't. We got off and we got on to distractions that were not mediators. But these are mediators of disease. People who have more than half of their HUFA (highly unsaturated fatty acids) as omega-6 HUFA, they really have a high incidence of cardiovascular death."<br /><br />Elsewhere in his presentation Dr. Lands explained why it is wise to limit combined total intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats to less than 1 percent of total caloric intake. These polyunsaturates are highly reactive, chemically. At the higher levels of consumption Americans normally ingest, the body's biochemical capacity to control the action of these chemically unstable molecules is compromised. The consequence for human health is the broad spectrum of chronic inflammatory diseases that are so costly to treat and impossible to prevent unless omega-6 consumption is reduced.<br /><br />The omega-6 story began almost 200 years ago in France with the 1813 discovery of margaric acid by Michel Chevreul. Forty years later, the German structural Chemist Wilhelm Heintz analyzed margaric acid and found it to be a combination of stearic acid and the previously unknown palmitic acid. In 1869, Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France offered a prize to anyone who could make a satisfactory substitute for butter, suitable for use by the armed forces and the lower classes. Responding to the challenge, French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés invented a substance he called oleomargarine. The name became shortened to the trade name "margarine." Mège-Mouriés patented the concept but was unable make money manufacturing the product so in 1871 he sold the patent to the Dutch company Jurgens, now part of Unilever. In 1897, French chemist Paul Sabatier perfected a process called hydrogenation. In 1902, German chemist Wilhelm Normann was awarded a patent for the hydrogenation of liquid oils. In 1911, an American company founded by two immigrants, William Proctor, a candle maker from England and James Gamble, a soap maker from Ireland, began marketing a product called Crisco; the name being derived from the initial sounds of the expression "crystallized cottonseed oil."<br /><br />So, around a hundred years ago, food technologists began manufacturing substitutes for butter (margarine) and lard (Crisco) from seed oils and about a decade later, the death rate from heart disease began to climb precipitously.<br /> <br />By the 1950s, heart disease was so prevalent and people were dying from it at such a young age that finding the cause became a major priority for medical researchers. The science of epidemiology was born and studies were carried out in many countries to determine if there was a connection between food intake and clogged arteries. Leading the charge was University of Minnesota physiologist Ancel Keys, PhD who enthusiastically promoted the idea that consuming too much saturated fat caused arteries to clog. The idea took hold and was vigorously promoted by vegetarian activists, sugar interests, the edible oils industry, and certain prominent scientists. In the late 1970s the federal government got involved and began issuing dietary advice to lower fat intake to control weight and restrict saturated fat intake to prevent heart disease.<br /><br />But heart disease is just one of many health impacts resulting from excessive omega-6 intake. I think it's fair to say that anything that omega-3 treats can be more effectively treated or even prevented by reducing omega-6. Thus, the omega-6 problem fans out into many areas of concern including alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, divorce rates, mental illness, birth defects, the quality of life for seniors, academic performance, work place safety, the cost of doing business in the USA, and ultimately, the cost of health care. My point: if we can prevent these chronic conditions and problems by removing omega-6 seed oil products from the food supply and restoring healthy fats, what are we waiting for?<br /><br />We're waiting for grass roots efforts by people like myself to take hold and reduce demand for fabricated foods. At present, corporate agriculture and the food manufacturing industry are extremely powerful, politically. In addition, they have a close, enduring relationship with academia because of the research funding they supply. I'm hoping these are not insurmountable obstacles. I'm hoping my efforts to help you lawmakers understand what has taken place will bare fruit in the form of legislation aimed at encouraging the production of more high quality animal products, the correction of mistakes in the dietary advice furnished by the the state, and the legalization of personal sales of raw milk dairy products in Montana.<br /><br />I urge you to watch the 37 minute presentation by Dr. Lands that I quoted from above. http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?live=8108 Dr. Lands begins speaking at about 12 minutes 45 seconds into the webcast. Just drag the time control button on the line at the bottom slightly to the right to skip the preliminary remarks and dead time. There's also this 4 minute 10 second excerpt: http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/learn-why-omega-6-fat-matters-for-your-health-by-bill-lands-phd/2370016394<br /><br />Finally, I encourage you to share information I send you with your spouse, relatives, friends, and political contacts. Thanks for your time.<br /><br />Regards,<br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901<br />davebnep@yahoo.com<br />Ph/406-257-5123<br />Nutrition Education ProjectDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-88403286954844972752010-02-12T12:04:00.000-08:002010-02-12T12:10:42.903-08:00Email to First Lady Michelle ObamaFebruary 4, 2010<br /><br />Michelle Obama firstladypolicy@who.eop.gov<br /><br />Dear Mrs. Obama,<br /><br />By way of introduction, I am a carpenter residing in Kalispell, Montana. I study and write about nutritional issues and controversies.<br /><br />I've been meaning to write you ever since your husband mentioned your Anti-Obesity Campaign during his State of Union Address. I understand you met recently with Secretary Vilsack, Secretary Sebelius Secretary Duncan, Senator Blanche Lincoln, Congressman George Miller, Senator Tom Harken, Congressman Collin Peterson, Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Senator Mike Enzi to discuss possible changes in child nutrition programs. If you think this message has merit, please forward it to the above cabinet members, senators, and congressmen.<br /><br />Regarding the obesity problem, I have some good news and some sad news. The good news is that at least a few scientists have identified the dietary factors responsible for the current epidemic of obesity and chronic disease. The sad news is that their voices are not being heard. In fact, the scientific evidence that supports their views has been ignored for at least four decades. What evidence? It's the data that demonstrates that excessive omega-6 fat consumption is responsible for the sort of metabolic impairment that promotes fat storage [1] and that excessive sugar consumption is responsible for the sort of appetite derangement that leads to overeating [2]. In other words, it's a big mistake to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturates and added sugars which is generally what happens when people try to eat according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.<br /><br />The added sugars problem has been in the limelight of late so there's no point discussing it here [3]. In contrast, the omega-6 problem continues to be ignored. So allow me to introduce you to Dr. Bill Lands, a respected biochemist who must be terribly frustrated by the continued lack of interest in omega-6 research. Here are a few paragraphs from a 37 minute presentation he gave on day two of a recent Defense Department workshop on omega-3 fats [4,5].<br /><br />In his opening remarks he said, Pragmatically, I really want primary prevention. I mean, treatment is all well and good. But if you never had to treat something, wouldn't that be a wonderful world? So, how would a pragmatist create a wonderful world? Well, if you know biochemistry, you can trace the molecular events that caused the disease or the undesired consequence and prevent the underlying cause of the problem. That means you have to trace back - and we can do that - the context of this molecular event. And the context is competition between omega-3 and omega-6 for storage and for action...<br /><br />I heard several times yesterday about these chronic diseases that are preventable. If that's true, how come nobody's preventing them, for crying out loud?... These data have been out for a long time. Everyone knows that. Ancel Keys sort of knew this but he never really talked about omega-3 and omega-6. And it was a tragedy because we have had 40 some years when we could have really been preventing something and we didn't. We got off and we got on to distractions that were not mediators. But these are mediators of disease. People who have more than half of their HUFA (highly unsaturated fatty acids) as omega-6 HUFA, they really have a high incidence of cardiovascular death.<br /><br />For half a century Americans have been relentlessly bombarded with messages about how bad saturated fats are for heart health. Of course, the purpose of this campaign has been to persuade everyone to consume supposedly heart healthy omega-6 seed oil products in place of artery clogging animal fats. It worked. When I began reading nutrition literature more than three decades ago we were consuming margarine and low-fat dairy products. After a few years of casual investigation we switched to butter and full fat dairy [6]. I'll have a student guest blogger featured on the American Society for Nutrition web site explain why [7].<br /><br />Over the past decade the use of low fat milk has become more prominent than the use of whole milk...According to a cohort study of 12,829 US children aged 9 to 14 years, weight gain is associated with excess calorie intake and consumption of low fat or skim milk, but is not associated with drinking whole milk products. This finding although surprising is consistent with some animal findings. Pigs fed reduced-fat milk gain weight easily while pigs fed whole milk stay lean. Male rats fed whole milk had significantly lower concentrations of plasma triglycerides...than rats fed low fat milk. The effects of whole milk on lipid profile and body composition are not well understood, but the process of removing fat from milk may in part be responsible for some of the observed effects. Milk is an emulsion of butterfat globules and water-based fluid. Butterfat contains unique nutrients that support thyroid function and help the body develop muscle rather than fat…<br /><br />So public health messages to consume low fat dairy do not produce the desired effect. What else is wrong with the government's dietary advice? I'll tell you. There's no warning to reduce omega-6 fat intake. None. Rather, we're told to restrict saturated fat consumption. This is a huge mistake because there is no scientific evidence that high saturated fat consumption poses a health hazard [8,9].<br /><br />A few days from now, on February 9-10, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will convene for the fifth time to review the current Guidelines. Judging from past deliberations, it seems unlikely the Committee will alter its stance on omega-6 fats, saturated fats, or total fat intake. Consequently, if you intend to propose a truly effective strategy for juvenile weight control, you will need to issue advice substantially not in agreement with current nutritional wisdom. While this may embarrass the 13 distinguished scientists serving on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, it would surely be an encouragement to those of us who want to see significant progress in the war on obesity and chronic disease.<br /><br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901<br />Ph/406-257-5123<br />Nutrition Education Project<br /><br /><br />1. http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/12/omega-6-linoleic-acid-suppresses.html<br />2. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/10/16/fructose-leptin/<br />3. http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717<br />4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ9i-9JcTF4<br />5. http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?live=8108<br />6. http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/10/butter-vs-margarine-showdown.html<br />7. http://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2009/08/the-milk-debate/<br />8. http://metabolismsociety.org/App_Themes/Images/AboutFat/Siri-Tarino%20SAFA%20CVD%20Risk.pdf<br />9. http://www.sciscoop.com/controversial-saturated-fat.htmlDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-7041068002899730472010-01-27T12:20:00.000-08:002010-01-27T12:35:31.348-08:00November 7, 2009<br /><br />President Barack Obama <br />The White House<br />1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW<br />Washington, DC 20500<br /><br />Dear Mr. President:<br /><br />This is my second letter to you. The first elicited two form letter responses dealing with health care reform and immigration. Apparently, the White House does not receive sufficient correspondence regarding the quality of the food supply and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans debacle to warrant developing form letters for those issues. At any rate, in this letter I focus on the government's terrible dietary advice.<br /><br />The Dietary Guidelines for Americans document is extremely important because the Guidelines are viewed as the final word as to what constitutes healthy eating in both the United States and in many other countries as well. Unfortunately, the Guidelines contain four major mistakes that need to be corrected.<br /><br />The most important error is the doctrine that saturated fat is a health hazard because it raises cholesterol levels and supposedly clogs arteries. For more than three decades the public has been relentlessly bombarded with messages to that effect. The problem is, there is no hard scientific evidence behind this allegation; only the backing of the edible oils industry, sugar interests, vegetarian activists, the food manufacturing industry, and almost two generations of public health professionals trained to regard saturated fats as evil.<br /><br />Soon after I began studying nutritional controversies more than three decades ago, I concluded that excessive sugar intake is a major dietary factor in heart disease. About 18 years later, after developing a leg ulcer, I learned that excessive omega-6 vegetable oil consumption promotes the inflammation associated with heart disease and other chronic conditions as well. Yet the Dietary Guidelines have never contained a strongly worded warning against excessive consumption of either food ingredient. Well, things are changing. Dr. Robert Lustig has an excellent 89 minute presentation entitled "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" and Dr. Bill Lands has a 37 minute presentation entitled "Why Omega-6 Fats Matter to Your Health." Both presentations are easily accessed by web search.<br /><br />So far I've covered three of the Dietary Guidelines mistakes, demonizing saturated fat, failure to warn the public about added sugars, and the recommendation to replace healthy saturated fats with omega-6 vegetable oils. The fourth mistake is the standard advice to reduce percentage of total fat intake to control weight and prevent heart disease. Again, Dr. Christopher Gardener has an excellent presentation entitled "Battle of the diets: is anyone winning at losing?"<br /><br />Thanks to a handful of astute researchers and health care professionals, and some grass roots educational activity, there is growing awareness that the findings of science are not being properly utilized. For example, a student guest blogger on the American Society for Nutrition web site recently noted, "Truly, I am neither an obesity researcher nor a public health policy expert. But I do read material on this issue every now and then, and recently, I asked myself, why? United States is blessed with enormous research resources, facilities, and funding, but still, why can’t we address the issue of obesity?" <br /><br />Another student in an earlier blog post provided at least a partial answer when she observed, "Over the past decade the use of low fat milk has become more prominent than the use of whole milk because there is substantial scientific evidence that consumption of foods high in fat causes weight gain and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, there is some controversy over whether processed low-fat pasteurized milk can meet the needs of developing offspring and whether it should be consumed during pregnancy and development....According to a cohort study of 12,829 US children aged 9 to 14 years, weight gain is associated with excess calorie intake and consumption of low fat or skim milk, but is not associated with drinking whole milk products. This finding although surprising is consistent with some animal findings. Pigs fed reduced-fat milk gain weight easily while pigs fed whole milk stay lean. Male rats fed whole milk had significantly lower concentrations of plasma triglycerides...than rats fed low fat milk. The effects of whole milk on lipid profile and body composition are not well understood, but the process of removing fat from milk may in part be responsible for some of the observed effects. Milk is an emulsion of butterfat globules and water-based fluid. Butterfat contains unique nutrients that support thyroid function and help the body develop muscle rather than fat…"<br /><br />Sadly, negative publicity about saturated fat and heart disease has whipped up so much hysteria about the fat in animal products that a New Zealand researcher (Professor Rod Jackson) was prompted to say, "We have a health tax on alcohol and cigarettes and there should be a health tax on butter. It’s the most poisonous commonly consumed food in New Zealand . It’s about the purest form of saturated fat you can eat and it has no protein and no calcium. Butter has had all the good things taken out and just left the poison.<br /><br />So here we are with an ever-increasing demand for medical services, an excessive national debt, and government dietary recommendations that make people fatter and sicker. You could do something about this, Mr. President. At various times you've said , "The American people understand that it is my job to get it right...our agriculture sector is...partly responsible for the explosion in our health care costs...junk food...is fueling an epidemic of obesity, putting far too many Americans, young and old, at greater risk of costly, chronic conditions."<br /><br />As mentioned earlier, we at the grass roots level are doing our best to educate the public and improve the quality of the food supply. Unfortunately, we have to battle against government policies that promote wrong-headed notions about nutrition and discourage the production of high quality food. Some presidential action on these matters would be greatly appreciated by us and extremely beneficial for the country.<br /><br />Regards,<br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901 <br />Ph/406-257-5123<br />Nutrition Education ProjectDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-89031311185787863832009-10-07T05:33:00.000-07:002009-10-09T11:22:14.976-07:00Letter to President Obama<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">President Barack Obama </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The White House</span><br /></span><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_3"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_0">1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW<br />Washington, DC 20500</span></span><br /><br />Dear Mr. President:<br /><br />Twice that I know of over the past year you have commented on food and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_4"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_1">health care costs</span></span>. The first mention was during an October 2008 interview with Joe Klein. You said, "<span class="articleText">I was just reading an article</span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2008%2F10%2F12%2Fmagazine%2F12policy-t.html&ei=JRC6SrmdNoLWtgPU6Lge&usg=AFQjCNGy91yJTy_IPivRo7OcfAq29_-oRg" class="l"><em></em></a><span class="articleText"> in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_5"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_2"><i>The</i> <i>New York Times</i></span></span></span> <span class="articleText">by Michael Pollan about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_6"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_3">greenhouse gases</span></span> than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it's creating mono cultures that are...partly responsible for the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">explosion in our health care costs</span> because they're contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_7"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_4">heart disease</span></span>, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in health care costs.</span>"<br /><br />The second mention was in a speech to the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_8"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_5">American Medical Association</span></span> delivered earlier this year. You said, "The second step that we can all agree on is to invest more in preventive care so that we can avoid illness and disease in the first place. That starts with each of us taking more responsibility for our health and the health of our children...It also means cutting down on all the junk food that is fueling an epidemic of obesity, putting far too many Americans, young and old, at greater risk of costly, chronic conditions. That's a lesson Michelle and I have tried to instill in our daughters with the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_9"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_6">White House</span></span> vegetable garden that Michelle planted. And that's a lesson that we should work with local school districts to incorporate into their <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254070847_7"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_10"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_7">school lunch programs</span></span></span>."<br /><br />I congratulate you on paying attention to the quality of the food supply. <span class="Apple-style-span">It is</span> a problem that began in the nineteenth century with the development of technology that made it possible to cheaply and efficiently produce enormous quantities of sugar, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_11"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_8">refined wheat flour</span></span>, and omega-6 seed oils. As the science of chemistry advanced, chemical technology spawned the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_12"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_9">food manufacturing industry</span></span> that supplies most of the calories Americans currently consume.<br /><br />These developments have had disastrous consequences for human health. Periodically, various scientists, both here and abroad, have attempted to call attention to the problem. But sadly, academia and government have ignored them. For example, in the Preface to <span style="font-style: italic;">Food for Nought</span> (1973), biochemist, author, and teacher Ross Hume Hall, PhD observed, "Nourishment of the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_10">American populace</span> has undergone a startling transformation since <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_13"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_11">World War II</span></span>. A highly individual system of growing and marketing food has been transformed into a gigantic, highly integrated service system in which the object is not to nourish or even to feed, but to force an ever-increasing consumption of fabricated products. This phenomenon is not peculiar to the American scene and occurs in every industrialized country. The United States, however, has progressed furthest in the transformation. Man can never be more than what he eats, and one would expect that a phenomenon with such profound effects on health and well-being as a radically changed system of supplying nourishment would be thoroughly documented and assessed by the scientific community. Such is not the case. The transformation has gone unmarked by government agencies and learned bodies. Government agencies, recipients of the public trust charged with protecting and improving the public's food, operate as if the technology of food fabrication rested in pre-World War II days. Scientific bodies, supported by public funds and charged with assessing and improving the public's health, ignore completely the results of contemporary methods of producing and marketing food."<br /><br />I began taking responsibility for my own health back in October of 1977 after sustaining a back injury. A week of hospitalization afforded time to think about my future. I decided to read some nutrition books and use what I learned to improve my body's ability to heal itself.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I did not read one or two books; I read dozens, then hundreds. I did so because<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span>nutrition experts disagree<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);"> </span>and one cannot afford to be following the advice of experts who base their opinions on personal experience or consensus of opinion. </span></span></div><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Eventually, I figured out that sugar interests, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_14"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_12">edible oils</span></span> producers, and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_15"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_13">food manufacturers</span></span> exert a powerful influence on both government and academia. I realized early on that sugar (<span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_16"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_14">Google</span></span> "Sugar:The Bitter Truth"), not saturated fat, was the major factor in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_17"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_15">heart disease</span></span>. But it<span class="Apple-style-span"> was not</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span>until 1994, after suffering a leg ulcer, that I learned how dangerous excessive consumption of the supposedly "heart healthy" omega-6 <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_18"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_16">vegetable oils</span></span> can be (Google "Omega-6 Research News").<br /><br />Which brings up another issue, the quality of nutrition instruction in this country. The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is the arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for educating Americans about nutrition. It is also the highest nutrition authority in the land.<br /><br />Every five years, by law, the CNPP must appoint 13 distinguished scientists to review the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_19"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_17">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</span></span> and recommend changes based on the latest scientific research. That process is currently underway and three meetings have already taken place.<br /><br />Hopefully, four mistakes, that have persisted in the government's dietary advice for more than three decades, will be corrected this time around. They are as follows: 1) the universal recommendation to restrict fat intake to lose weight, 2) the doctrine that high saturated fat consumption leads to clogged arteries, 3) failure to warn consumers about the hazards of excessive fructose consumption, and 4) failure to warn consumers about hazards associated with excessive omega-6 polyunsaturated <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_20"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_18">vegetable oil consumption</span></span>.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 191);font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I am </span>not the only one disturbed by the government's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">dietary guidelines. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Many Americans are voicing their concerns to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_21"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_19">Advisory Committee</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">In January, these poignant </span>remarks, submitted by someone named Ethyl</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, were published in the federal register.<br /><br />"Here's how I'd like to answer the members of the USDA if I could speak to them personally about what nutritional guidelines to provide for Americans:</span></span></div><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">1. You need to decide what is more important to you: support for the wheat, soy, corn, and sugar industries or the health of Americans.<br />2. You need to wrap your minds around the fact that the nutritional advice you have dispensed for the past forty years is dead wrong. A diet with carbohydrates as the largest daily food group makes people fat and/or sick.</span></div><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">3.You have been embarrassingly wrong for the past forty years about the dangers of fat in the diet. The extreme fat reduction you have recommended makes people fat and/or sick.</span></div><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">4. Your dietary recommendations for the past forty years are largely responsible for the amount of obesity, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_22"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_20">diabetes</span></span>, heart disease, cancer, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_23"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_21">autoimmune disorders</span></span>, depression, and more that <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_22">Americans experience</span> in ever-increasing numbers.<br />5. I visited the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://mypyramid.gov/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_24">MyPyramid.gov</span></a> Web site and found your pyramid to be what one would expect government bureaucrats to create: unnecessarily complicated, confusing, filled with misinformation, and condescending. It claims to be "science-based" but does not admit - or understand? - that it is based on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_25"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_23">junk science</span></span> that has been poorly conducted.<br />6. If you want to give the public at large advice about what to eat to be healthy or correct many health problems, it should go something like this:<br />a. Eat mostly real food, not food products processed in food labs.<br />b. Make the time to prepare almost all of your meals at home from scratch. Know what's in the food you eat.<br />c. Retrain your body to derive its energy from fat ... by fueling it with quality fats such as lard, coconut oil, butter, nut oils, and olive oil. Eliminate all trans fat from the diet, and drastically reduce the amount of fat from vegetable oils. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_26"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_24">Saturated fat</span></span> is good for you, enjoy it..."<br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><div style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Mr. President, clearly our industrialized food supply is making us fat and sick. And the cost of dealing with health issues is destroying our economy. But your mention of the monoculture/junk food connection to chronic disease and obesity in relation to "our huge explosion in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_27">health care costs</span>"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">raised hopes that you will study the matter further. Below is a short list of individuals who can help you visualize what needs to be done to improve the food environment by, first and foremost, correcting</span><span style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"></span></span>Fred and Alice Ottoboni: retired <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_28"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_25">public health scientists</span></span> and authors of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Modern <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_29"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_26">Nutritional Diseases</span></span></span>.<br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_30"><br /><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_27" style="font-family:georgia;">Gary Taubes</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">: award winning journalist and author of a 2002 </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >New York Times Magazine</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > article entitled "What if it's all Been a Big </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Fat Lie?" and the book </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Good Calories, Bad Calories</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;font-family:georgia;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_31" ><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_28">Michael Pollan</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">: author of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" ><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_32"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_29">The Omnivore's Dilemma</span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sally Fallon: founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_33"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_30">Nourishing Traditions</span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;font-family:georgia;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_34" ><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_31">Joel Salatin</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">: grass farmer and author of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" ><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_35"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_32">Everything I Want</span></span> to Do is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Mark McAffee: </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_36" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_33">California</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_37" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_34">raw milk dairy</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> farmer and owner of </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_38" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_35">Organic Pastures</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Fresh Raw Dairy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nina Planck: created the first </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_39" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_36">farmers' markets in London</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">. Author of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Real Food: What to Eat and Why</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Before closing, I have a few comments about </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_40" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_37">health care reform</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">. First, I am in favor of incentives that encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">. In a recent </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >New York Times</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Op-Ed article entitled "Big Food vs. Big Insurance" Michael Pollan suggests changes in insurance rules that could help accomplish this goal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Second, I would like to have the option of a </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_41" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_38">health savings account</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">. Rather than being forced to purchase health insurance, I would like to be able to put tax-deferred money into savings that could be used for health emergencies. If spent on health care, the money would not be subject to taxation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Third, my family has never purchased health insurance. We simply pay for medical services as needed. We would far rather spend our hard-earned money on high quality food than on medical screening. At our income level, being forced to purchase health insurance would pose a hardship making it more difficult for us to obtain high quality food. Seems like there ought to be a better reward for taking care of ones health than being forced to pay for something which one cannot afford and may never use.</span></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In your inaugural address you said, "...our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">You speak words of hope. But unless you and your policy advisers reeducate yourselves as to what constitutes healthy eating, eventually there will be no funds to "remake" anything.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Toward the end of your speech you said, "Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Have governments ever been trustworthy? It is a nice thought.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In most respects I think elected officials are trustworthy. I believe they are doing their best to protect us and improve our circumstances. However, those narrow interests you mentioned are NOT trustworthy. And their influence, where </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_42" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_39">food issues</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and nutritional controversies are concerned, is pervasive in business, academia, media, and government. And because governance involves a broad spectrum of political issues, it is understandable that the vast majority of politicians are not programmed, by either their education or their experience, to be interested in food issues, much less understand them. While this may continue to be the case, it would be incredibly helpful if grass roots efforts to improve the quality of the food supply and correct the government's horribly flawed dietary advice had the support of the </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_43" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_40">President of the United States</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In closing, I note that you were elected to office on the strength of a promise; a promise that you would do things differently. My prayer is that you will study the connection between food choices and chronic disease until you fully understand the issues and that God will give you the ability to discern and the courage to do what needs to be done to reduce demand for medical services. Recall Dr. Hall's observation: "Man can never be more than what he eats..."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Regards,</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">David Brown</span><br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; cursor: pointer;font-family:georgia;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_44" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_41">1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Ph/</span><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;font-family:georgia;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_45" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254888479_42">406-257-5123</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nutrition Education Project</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://nutritionscienceanalyst.blogspot.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1254846840_46">http://nutritionscienceanalyst.blogspot.com/</span></a></span></span></span>David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-26662218586349749022009-04-22T22:40:00.000-07:002009-04-22T22:51:51.987-07:00Unabsorbed CaloriesMost weight control experts teach that reducing caloric intake and increasing caloric expenditure through exercise are absolutely necessary to achieve and sustain weight loss. Many dieters have been successful with this approach but does it work for everybody? Not really. Why? Well, some people are not genotrophically equipped to thrive on a low-fat/low-calorie diet no matter how much exercise they get. (The genotrophic concept, by the way, simply refers to the fact that each of us is biochemically and physiologically unique and that this uniqueness is determined by genes.)<br /><br />A number of books have been published over the years suggesting that adding calories (especially fat calories) to the diet <i>can</i> produce weight loss. The first I'm aware of is <i>Calories Don't Count</i> by Herman Taller, MD. It caused quite a stir as reported by Ruth Adams in her 1972 book <i>Did You Ever See A Fat Squirrel?</i> In Chapter 7 subtitled <b>Calories Do Count or one foot is a lot different than ten feet</b> she reports, "The case of <i>Calories Don't Count</i> reached the halls of Congress in the fiery address of one knowledgeable congressman who called the FDA's attack on the book "Trial by press release." A lot of unfair and inaccurate things were said about Dr. Taller and his book in the decade following its publication. The government seized his books and safflower oil capsules displayed nearby from health food stores calling the capsules "drugs" and the book "labeling" of these drugs. While Dr. Taller's book contained a few inaccuracies and despite it's apparent contradiction, his approach, which recommended a daily intake of 3935 calories (more or less) as calculated by Ruth Adams, did work for a lot of people. But on to the next book.<br /><br />Published two decades later, <i>Why Calories Don't Count</i> by biochemist Paul Stitt, MS did not attract any attention, probably because Robert Atkins was taking so much heat at the time. Poorly edited and clumsily written, the book actually contains a reference to research documenting unabsorbed calories.<br /><br />Another book entitled <i>How to Lower Your Fat Thermostat</i> by Remington, Fisher, and Parent describes force feeding experiments where subjects were unable to gain more than small amounts of weight despite huge amounts of extra eating. Most subjects quickly returned to their pre-study weight after a return to normal caloric intake. There's also some interesting discussion describing how food denial (caloric restriction) can increase the surface area of the gut which increases efficiency of calorie absorption. They noted, "Rats eating only one meal a day have a markedly increased rate of food digestion and absorption. Many obese people also seem to digest food more quickly, perhaps because of dietary efforts and periods of food denial."<br /><br />Fast forwarding to the present, <i>Prevention</i> magazine recently released a 52-page booklet advertising <i>The Doctors Book of Food Remedies</i>. I'm ordering a copy to see if the book contains any references to research that documents what the advertiser asserts; namely that some fats, calories, and cholesterol do not get absorbed but are excreted when certain fiber-containing foods are eaten with every meal. Here's a few pages of that advertisement:<br /><br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>Fat-Blocker </b><i>foods!</i></span><br /><b><span style="font-size:130%;">Foods that fill you up...block absorption of calories & fat...and make it easy to shed 10, 20, 30 pounds, or more.</span></b><br /><br />Page 9 - Imagine being able to shed all the pounds and inches you want, <u>NOT</u> by starving yourself, but by actually eating <u>MORE</u> of certain types of food?<br /> Oh, how satisfying <i>that</i> would be! But it couldn't possibly be true, could it? Doctors are responding with a resounding YES! Here's the story...<br /><br />Medical researchers have identified dozens of delicious foods bursting with this amazing combination of benefits - they're not only scrumptious, but they also <i>block the absorption of fat and calories in the <u>other</u> foods you eat</i>!<br /><br />What's more, the same foods leave you feeling full - totally satisfied - for much longer periods of time, so you automatically eat less during the day. In other words, these delicious foods give you an enormous <i>DOUBLE</i> advantage in your efforts to lose weight. First, you automatically eat less because you feel full and satisfied longer. And then, (Page 10) when you do eat, you absorb far fewer fat and calories! (Their mistake, not mine.)<br /><br />That's why these "fat-blocker foods" are a dieter's dream-come-true. And in <i>The Doctors Book of Food Remedies</i>, you're going to learn all about them, and how to use them to lose more weight than you've ever thought possible.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>The Greatest Weight-Loss Secret of All-Time ?</b></span><br /> The secret behind Mother Nature's incredible <i>fat-blocker</i> foods can be summed up in a single word - <i>fiber</i>.<br /> But not just <i>any</i> fiber. In recent years, researchers have discovered that foods rich in <i>a certain type of fiber</i> have an almost magical power to trap fat and calories as they pass through your system...block their absorption...and carry these unwanted fats and calories right out of your system before they have a chance to pack their weight on your thighs, hips, rear, or belly.<br /> But <i>only one type of fiber</i> does this, and on pages 201-203 of <i>The Doctors Book of Food Remedies</i>, you're going to discover the many foods that are richest in it. Thank goodness, there are dozens of these fat-blocker foods to choose from, so you'll easily find a host of favorites to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, as you watch pound after pound melt away so easily.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Blocks Out the Fat in Your Steak...So You Don't Absorb It! </b></span><br /> Just <i>how</i> easily does it work? Let's look at an example...<br /> <br />A big reason we gain weight - and find losing it so hard - is because of the <i>fat</i> in our diets. <i>Fat makes you fat</i>! When you eat a steak, for example, molecules of fat and cholesterol pass through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream...and eventually get deposited as fat someplace in your body where you least want it.<br /><br />Page 12 - But before that can happen, the special fiber in these <i>fat-blocker foods</i> prevents you from absorbing these fats and calories in the first place. When you eat these foods, their special fiber dissolves in your digestive tract, forming a sticky gel that acts like a protective coating, preventing fat and cholesterol from getting through your intestinal wall.<br /> <br />Remember the example of the steak? If you accompanied it with a heaping serving of one of these fat-blocker foods, its special fiber would turn into gel, trapping molecules of fat and cholesterol and preventing them from getting into your body. And because this fiber itself isn't absorbed, it passes out of your body, taking the fat and cholesterol with it!<br /> <br />You'll get complete details of this wonderful form of fiber on page 201 of The <i>Doctors Book of Food Remedies</i>. Then on page 202, you'll see all the foods richest in this near-miraculous ability. <i>This information is worth its weight in gold because it makes losing weight so much easier than you've ever experienced!</i><br /> <br />Now you can lose by <i>eating</i>, not <i>starving</i>! There are no pills to take, no unhealthy fad diets to follow, and, best of all, <i>no starvation</i>! Losing weight was <i>never</i> so easy!<br /> <br />What's more, these fiber-rich fat-blocker foods bring you many other benefits, as well. They keep you as regular as a Swiss watch. They lower your cholesterol, and cut your risk of heart disease <i>in half.</i> They can also reduce your risk of cancer by 31% because they sweep food particles out of your colon faster and keep your insides cleaner. This is why some doctors call fiber "<i>Mother Nature's broom</i>."<br /><br /> In another section starting on page 32 and titled <b>Cut Your Risk of Heart Attack by 80 % or more</b>, there's further mention of unabsorbed fat and cholesterol. For example, on page 33 under the heading <b>Traps Cholesterol in Your Body Like Velcro and Flushes It Away Harmlessly </b>one reads, "Take Pears for example. They contain an all-natural compound called lignin, which is Mother Nature's most ingenious antidote to high cholesterol. Lignin acts just like nutritional Velcro, attaching itself to the cholesterol in your body, trapping it in your intestine, and ushering it right out of your system so you don't absorb it!"<br /> <br />Finally, on page 35 under the heading <b>Your Internal Cholesterol-Busting "Police Force"</b> one reads, "You'll get an entire list - plus lots of recipes - of the best cholesterol-busting foods you can eat. All share this incredible benefit: they're filled with a substance that forms a gummy gel in your digestive tract that mops up fat and cholesterol, dragging it straight out of your body before it gets deposited on your artery walls."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /> Well, don't you just love advertising copy? Considering the darth of information on the subject, one wonders where the author(s?) of <i>Food Remedies</i> got the idea that fiber can "sweep" fat, calories, and cholesterol out of the body. There are no references to research.<br /><br />Dave BrownDavid Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-11900114087451177622009-01-07T14:54:00.000-08:002009-01-07T15:03:36.937-08:00Excessive fructose consumption a major health hazard? Likely soThe following was published in the Saturday, January 3, 2009 edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">The</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Daily Inter Lake</span>:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Fructose, Sucrose and your health</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">By David Brown</span><br /><br />For those resolved to lose weight gained over the holidays, I suggest you eat less fructose. And for those who didn't gain any weight whatsoever, I suggest a lowered fructose intake also. Why? Because excessive fructose consumption is finally being recognized as a major health hazard in the modern diet.<br /><br />And we're not just talking about <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_0"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_0">high fructose corn syrup</span></span> (HFCS) here. White sugar (sucrose) has nearly the same effects. I say "nearly the same" because scientists have shown that the liver processes the fructose part of a blend of molecules of fructose and glucose into <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_1">triglycerides</span></span> (fats) a little differently from sucrose, a double sugar molecule consisting of fructose and glucose chemically bonded.<br /><br />Blended or bonded, it's fructose that loads the bloodstream with fat. In a July 24, 2008 <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</span> article by Tara Parker-Pope titled "Does Fructose Make You Fatter?" the author reports, "In a small study, Texas researchers showed that the body converts fructose to body fat with 'surprising speed,' said Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas...In humans, triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the blood, are mostly formed in the liver. Dr. Parks said the liver acts like 'a traffic cop' who coordinates how the body uses dietary sugars. When the liver encounters glucose, it decides whether the body needs to store it, burn it for energy or turn it into triglycerides. But when fructose enters the body, it bypasses the process and ends up being quickly converted to body fat.<br /><br />In a 2004 <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_2"><span style="font-style: italic;">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</span> article</span></span> authored by George Bray, Samara Nielsen, and Barry Popkin the authors wrote, "It is becoming increasingly clear that soft drink consumption may be an important contributor to the epidemic of obesity, in part through the larger portion sizes of these beverages and through the increased intake of fructose from HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and sucrose."<br /><br />Subsequent research by Peter Havel, Richard Johnson, and others has confirmed the suspected connection between fructose and weight gain and elucidated the metabolic pathways that affect hunger, fat storage, and fat mobilization.<br /><br />Fructose also appears to promote diabetes, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_3"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_3">heart disease</span></span>, non-alcoholic <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_4"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_4">fatty liver disease</span></span>, and many lesser known effects. In an article by Laura Jefferson titled "The Negative Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on the Human Body Excluding Obesity, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_5"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_5">Diabetes</span></span>, and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_6"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_6">Kidney Failure</span></span>" the author wrote, "Many of the lesser-known effects of high fructose corn syrup are the result of a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_7"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_7">trickle down effect</span></span>. When high fructose corn syrup changes the balance of nutrients, it also can lead to problems with <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230907667_3"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_8"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_8">vitamin and mineral deficiency</span></span>. </span>The most noticeable effects of high fructose corn syrup include problems with liver disease, heart failure, minerals, osteoporosis, micro nutrients, accelerated aging, and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230907667_4"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_9"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_9">copper deficiency</span></span></span>."<br /><br />Of course, bad publicity about HFCS has elicited a response from the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_10"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_10">Corn Refiners Association</span></span> (CRA). In June, the CRA launched a 30 million dollar advertising campaign in a transparent attempt to convince consumers that HFCS is not a problem. To familiarize yourself with their version of the truth <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_11"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_11">Google</span></span> "The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_12"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_12">Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup</span></span> - HFCS Facts."<br /><br />Apparently negative publicity is making the CRA extremely nervous because spokesmen for the organization have begun to troll the internet for articles and editorials containing negative comments about HFCS. For example, in the comment section following a <span style="font-style: italic;">Boston Globe</span> article titled "Florida farm an organic gourmand's delight" Audrae Erickson, President of the CRA, wrote, "The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_13"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_13">American Medical Association</span></span> (AMA) in June 2008 helped PUT TO REST (emphasis mine) misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that “<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_14">high fructose corn syrup</span> does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.”<br /><br />Regarding the AMA decision not to bash HFCS, Clinical nutritionist Byron Richards wrote, "Last year the AMA was able to avoid making a public decision on the resolution, but intense pressure over the past year from within their own ranks forced them this year to take a stand. After all, the obesity epidemic is rapidly becoming the top <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_14"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_15">public health problem</span></span> in this country. With their tail between their legs and no trumpets blaring, the AMA sided with the Corn Refiners Association and against the public health – based on the lamest logic imaginable. Their decision was immediately broadcast far and wide – interpreted by the media to mean that the AMA had given high fructose corn syrup its seal of approval. The AMA said they couldn’t tell if high fructose corn syrup was worse than any other sweetener, and there was no way to tell if it was really causing obesity because people eat too much in general. Their conclusion is laughable."<br /><br />The beverage industry, on the other hand, tracks nutrition research closely and apparently has seen the hand writing on the wall. A few years back Coca-Cola teamed up with Cargill to finance studies to determine the safety of Rebiana, a stevia derived sweetener. Their efforts paid off because on December 17, 2008 the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_15"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_16">Food and Drug Administration</span></span> approved the use of stevia as a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_16"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_17">food additive</span></span>. Some <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_17"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_18">natural health practitioners</span></span> believe stevia to be far safer than <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_18"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_19">artificial sweeteners</span></span> such as aspartame and sucralose.<br /><br />Meanwhile, most Americans remain clueless regarding the health hazards associated with excessive fructose consumption. Clearly, the sweeteners industry has powerful ties to dietetics, public health, medicine, and commerce. You'll have to do your own research if you want to learn the truth. You won't see it on television or the print media.<br /><br />With some reservation, I recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sugar Fix</span> by Richard J. Johnson, MD. Like most authors of books about nutrition and disease, Dr. Johnson made little attempt to understand or resolve the saturated fat controversy.<br /><br />For those with internet access I suggest you Google "HFCS hazards" or "On <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_20">High Fructose Corn Syrup</span> and Weapons of Mass Destruction."<br /><br />Have questions, comments, or criticism? Contact me at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1230918870_19"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231369027_21">davebnep@yahoo.com</span></span>.<br /><br />David Brown<br />1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901<br />Ph/406-257-5123David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-37199067447431574442008-03-30T18:36:00.000-07:002008-04-20T19:28:35.717-07:00Does fat-phobic orthodoxy damage the public health?The three issues that concern me most are the quality of the food supply, the quality of nutrition instruction and the current polarization of opinion regarding what constitutes <span style="font-style: italic;">proper</span> nutrition.<br /><br />Regarding the food supply, it's unfortunate that government agencies, charged with protecting and improving the public health, have consistently caved in to pressure from corporate interests. The consequence is Dietary Guidelines that seem to be doing just the opposite of what was intended. Of particular concern to me is the fat-phobic orthodoxy that permeates every government (health) agency and every school of public health in the land.<br /><br />I monitored the situation for fifteen years without attempting to do anything about it because I fully expected sound science to prevail. More recently I have been doing what I can to encourage others to inform themselves about biochemical individuality, fat metabolism, and carbohydrate sensitivity.<br /><br />The biochemical knowledge required to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of individualized diets may be maturing with the emergence of genomics, protenomics, and metabolomics. Meanwhile, it's important that the mainstream health establishment stop demonizing saturated fat and focus on sugars and omega-6 vegetable oils as the actual culprits causing the current epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and cancers in younger and younger age groups.<br /><br />The remainder of this post is a letter recently published in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Inter Lake</span> here in Kalispell.<br /><br /><br />Dear Editor:<br /><br />In late February I learned that the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has a strategy for improving the health of Montanans. It's called the 2006-2010 <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_1">Montana</span> Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases. The Plan was formulated by a 77 member Cardiovascular Disease/ Obesity Prevention Task Force and became public policy in June 2006.<br /><br />Many aspects of the Plan are indeed helpful. Unfortunately, the major dietary advice for weight control is reduced fat intake. In addition, the cornerstone of heart disease prevention involves severely limiting saturated fat consumption. Neither recommendation has sound science behind it.<br /><br />What these ideas do have behind them is the backing of vegetarian activists, food manufacturers, the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206927199_5">edible oils industry</span>, and sugar producers. For decades these corporate interests have controlled advertising, funded research, and exerted influence on government agencies that supply educational materials (Dietary Guidelines) to state and county health departments. Fortunately, there's growing suspicion that current fat-phobic orthodoxy may actually be damaging the public health. For example, on January 21, 2008 researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine released a statement that generated a number of articles headlined "Do national dietary guidelines do more harm than good?" A press release reads, "Mid-way to the drafting of the 2010 guidelines, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_2">Yeshiva University</span> raise questions about the benefits of federal dietary guidelines, and urge that guideline writers be guided by explicit standards of evidence to ensure the public good."<br /><br />This is exactly what has not been done where dietary fat is concerned. Further along in the article one reads, "Dr. Marantz and colleagues argue that if guidelines can alter behavior, such alteration could have positive or negative effects. They cite how, in 2000, the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee suggested that the recommendation to lower fat, advised in the 1995 guidelines, had perhaps been ill-advised and might actually have some potential harm. The committee noted concern that the previous priority given to a low-fat intake may lead people to believe that, as long as fat intake is low, the diet will be entirely healthful. This belief could engender an <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_3">overconsumption</span> of total calories in the form of carbohydrates, resulting in the adverse metabolic consequences of high-carbohydrate diets, the committee wrote, while also noting that an increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States has corresponded roughly with an absolute increase in carbohydrate consumption.<br /><br />Another indication that the focus is shifting from fat to carbohydrate is this observation in a February 6 article by Dr. J. Rand Baggesen entitled "The latest news about cholesterol medicine." His concluding remark: "<span id="ctl00_articlePlaceHolder_article1_lblEntry">There is no substitute for an active physical lifestyle in combination with a diet that avoids high levels of simple carbohydrates when it comes to health. In 2008, we do not have a medicine as powerful as these simple measures when it comes to avoidance of heart disease and stroke.<br /><br />Other researchers are finding that lower cholesterol levels may have a serious downside not previously noticed because of the prejudice against high cholesterol. For example, </span>in a January 9, 2008 press release "Researchers at <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_4">Texas A&M University</span> have discovered that lower cholesterol levels can actually reduce muscle gain with exercising." Lead investigator Steven Riechman reported that subjects who were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs while participating in the study showed lower muscle gain totals than those who were not. “Needless to say," he said, "these findings caught us totally off guard.”<br /><br />While the prejudice against saturated fat and cholesterol runs deep, it's possible that obesity experts will soon begin telling carb-sensitive individuals to consume more butter, eggs, coconut oil, and red meat to reduce insulin levels to allow stored fat to be burned so that weight loss can occur.<br /><br />In conjunction with the 2008 Western Regional Obesity Course sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the Nutrition and Metabolism Society held a Symposium in Phoenix on April 12-13. The event featured, among others, Gary Taubes, Jeff S. Volek, Stephen D. Phinney, and J. Bruce German. The topic was "Saturated Fat and Heart Disease: What's the Evidence?"<br /><br />The evidence, of course, is the research that the mainstream nutrition establishment has been ignoring for more than 30 years and will probably continue to ignore for a while yet. That evidence indicates that excessive fructose consumption, not saturated fat, is largely to blame for the continued high incidence of heart disease and the recent increase in the incidence of diabetes and obesity.<br /><br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_5">David Brown</span><br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_6">1925 Belmar Dr<br />Kalispell, MT 59901</span><br />Ph/<span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_7">406-257-5123</span><br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" onclick="return ShowLinkWarning()" href="http://150.131.192.240/Publications/Nutrition.htm"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_8">http://150.131.192.240/Publications/Nutrition.htm</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/factsheets/ChronicDisease/montana.htm"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_9">http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/factsheets/ChronicDisease/montana.htm</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/aeco-erd011708.php"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_10">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/aeco-erd011708.php</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/tau-sc010908.php"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_11">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/tau-sc010908.php</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.richmond.com/health-fitness/article.aspx?articleId=23476&p=2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_12">http://www.richmond.com/health-fitness/article.aspx?articleId=23476&p=2</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.asbp.org/resources/uploads/Preliminary%20Program%20Complete.pdf"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_13">http://www.asbp.org/resources/uploads/Preliminary%20Program%20Complete.pdf</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3658957&page=1"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_14">http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3658957&page=1</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/21"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_15">http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/21</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_16">http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2</span></a><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/3/550"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1206926776_17">http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/3/550</span></a>David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-83547833260509483202008-02-01T06:37:00.000-08:002008-02-01T06:48:46.036-08:00Nutrition Against Disease<p>My thanks to Dr. Donald R. Davis, Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, for permission to use this material in my Nutrition Education Project.</p> The following paragraphs are from pages 81-83 of Nutrition Against Disease (1971) by Roger J. Williams, PhD. More information about Dr. Williams and his work is available at <a href="http://www.doctoryourself.com/">www.doctoryourself.com</a>. I encourage you to read the references and notes. They are every bit as interesting as the associated text.<br /><br /><p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">No discussion of heart disease would be complete without mention of the question of saturated fats. It has come to be almost an orthodox position that if one wishes to protect oneself against heart disease, one should avoid eating saturated (animal) fats. While this idea may not be entirely in error, it is misleading in its emphasis. The evidence shows that high fat consumption, when accompanied by plenty of the essential nutrients which all the cells need, does not cause atherosclerosis or heart disease.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Rats have been used extensively to study the effects of diet on atherosclerosis. Under ordinary dietary conditions the inclusion of saturated fats in their diet will consistently promote the deposition of cholesterol in their arteries.(50) For 285 days rats were fed a diet containing 61.6 percent animal fat, but highly superior with respect to protein, mineral, and vitamin content, without producing any pathological changes in the aorta or in the heart.(51) The animals did, to be sure, become obese, as much as three to four times their normal weight. Animals fed vegetable fats at the same level fared essentially no better and no worse. These findings were based upon extensive long-term experiments at Yale, using a total of 600 rats, which were observed for as long as two years. There were no findings suggestive that either high animal fat diets or high vegetable fat diets were conducive under these conditions to atherosclerosis. </span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">That cardiovascular disease is not associated with high fat diets is also shown by comparison study of matched groups of twenty-eight railwaymen from North India and twenty-eight from Southern India.(53) The consumption of fats, mostly of animal origin, was ten times higher among the North Indians than the South Indians, but there were no significant differences between their lipid and cholesterol levels. Among the South Indian population, the incidence of heart disease is said to be fifteen times as high as among the North Indians where the fat content of the diet is ten times higher. Dietary factors are doubtless very important in connection with the incidence of heart disease, but fat is only one factor, and other dietary factors are considerably more important.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">This is also corroborated by a study of 400 Masai men in Tanganyika.(54) In spite of the fact that the diet of these men is almost exclusively milk and meat (consumption of whole blood is relatively rare), both of which contain much fat and plenty of cholesterol, the cholesterol levels in the blood of the Masai are extraordinarily low, and there was "no evidence of arteriosclerotic heart disease." It should be noted that a diet containing large quantities of meat is free from "naked calories," and is certain to supply an assortment of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in liberal amounts. Though the Masai have other health disorders - many of infective origin - they probably escape heart disease because their body cells are furnished with an environment that is adequate enough to protect their hearts and blood vessels.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">A corollary of the notion that saturated fats are arch villains is the idea that one should eat substantial amounts of polyunsaturated fats. (The phrase "polyunsaturated fatty acids" has become virtually synonymous with "heart protection" in both popular and orthodox medical thinking.) While everyone should have unsaturated fats in his diet, their presence does not by any means afford adequate protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease. The current consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the USA is higher than it has ever been, yet this does not curb heart disease.(55) There are many reasons on which to base our conclusion that other factors are far more important.(56) When other deficiencies are eliminated, the amount of unsaturated fat is of secondary importance. If there is plenty of vitamin B6 in the diet, fat metabolism tends to take care of itself.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I have said a good deal about vitamin B6, but I do not mean to imply that it is, by itself, the answer to heart disease. All the nutrients contribute to the prevention of heart trouble.</span></p> <span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" name="more"></a></span> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u> References and notes:</u></span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> 50. <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/circulationaha;19/1/65">Thomas, W.A., and Hartroft, W.S. "Myocardial infarction in rats fed diets containing high fat, cholesterol, thiouracil, and sodium cholate." Circulation, 19:65, 1959</a>; Taylor, C. B., et al. "Fatal myocardial infarction in rhesus monkeys with diet-induced hyper-cholesterolemia." Circulation, 20;975, 1959.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In the above experiments, the investigators found that prolonged feeding of butter or lard to rats resulted in hyperlipemia and finally coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction with lesions similar to those found in human beings. The diets of these animals were regarded as otherwise "normal" in respect to their intake of supplementary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Other data, however (see reference note 52 below) demonstrate that when fat and cholesterol (or animal protein) are increased in the diet, certain nutrients (particularly pyridoxine) must be increased above "average" or "normal" requirements.<br /><br />51. Barboriak, J.J., et al. "Influence of high-fat diets on growth and development of obesity in the albino rat." J. Nutr., 64: 241, 1958.<br /><br /> 52. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14324437&dopt=Abstract">Naimi, S., et al. "Cardiovascular lesions, blood lipids, coagulation and fibrinolysis in butter-induced obesity in the rat." J. Nutr., 86:325, 1965.</a></span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In this more recent study, Naimi and his colleagues were directly interested in the effects of a high fat butter-induced obesity on the cardiovascular system of seventeen male Wistar albino rats. Butter constituted 65 percent of the total calories, with 20 percent protein (casin) and generous vitamin and mineral supplements equal to if not superior to those used in the above-mentioned Yale study.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> Under the conditions of their experiment, these investigators found that a high fat butter diet causing obesity in rats did not produce changes in blood cholesterol nor result in cardiovascular lesions, as other data had led them to expect. The authors note, "The absence of such adverse changes, despite, the development of gross obesity in these animals may be significant, since both obesity and animal fats have been considered to be associated with lipemia and vascular lesions. It may be suggested that other dietary factors might have protected the experimental group against such changes. Yet, even if this happens to be the case, it should not detract from the significance of the fact that large amounts of saturated fat and obesity are not necessarily associated with lipemia and vascular lesions."</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> We are confident that other dietary factors did protect these rats, and that only in the absence of sufficient supportive nutrients are obesity and high fat and high cholesterol diets associated with atherosclerosis and heart disease in the human population.<br /><br /> 53. Malhotra, S.L., "Serum Lipids, dietary factors and ischemic heart disease," Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 20:462, 1967.<br /><br />See also Malhotra, S.L., "Geographical aspects of acute myocardial infarction in India , with special reference to the pattern of diet and eating." Brit. Heart J., 29:777, 1967.<br /><br /> 54. Mann, G.V., et al. "Cardiovascular disease in the Masai." J. Atheroscler. Res., 4:289, 1964.</span> </p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In an extensive review of the various peoples of the earth who have little or no atherosclerosis and are virtually free of heart disease, Lowenstein found that the fat intake ranged from 21 grams per day to as much as 355 grams per day (Lowenstein, F.W. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 15:175, 1964). In both the Somalis and the Samburus of East Africa, the diet is from 60 to 65 percent fat (animal), and yet they are nearly free from atherosclerosis and heart attacks. While it might be argued that ethnic differences are involved here, population groups of wide ethnic variation have been reported who subsist on high fat, high cholesterol, high caloric diets while remaining virtually free of coronary heart disease.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In the text we have mentioned the report of Mann and his colleagues of the Masai tribe who subsist on a diet excessively high in butter fat (and cholesterol), the fat constituting as much as 60 percent of the total calories consumed, yet are virtually free of cardiovascular disease. Gsell and Mayer report that the semi isolated peoples of the Loetschental valley in the Valaisian Alps of Switzerland habitually eat a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, high in calories, but evidence low serum cholesterol values and little cardiovascular disorders (Gsell, D., and Mayer, J. "Low blood cholesterol associated with high calorie, high saturated fat intake in a Swiss Alpine village population." Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 10:471, 1962).</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> Stout and his coworkers report that an Italian immigrant colony in Roseta , Pennsylvania , consumes diets much richer than other Americans, yet have less than half the incidence of coronary heart disease (J. A. M. A., 188:845, 1964).</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In a survey study of 27,000 Kenya East Indians, A. D. Charters and B. P. Arya report (Lancet, 1:288, 1960) that the animal fat consumption was relatively high among the Punjabi nonvegetarians and relatively low among the vegetarian Gujeratis, but the percentage of heart disease morbidity "is closely proportional to that of the population." The statistics of their survey, conclude these investigators, suggest that in the case of the East Indian population in Kenya , "the ingestion of animal fats is not an important etiological factor" in heart disease morbidity. Interestingly, besides their low animal fat diet, the Gujerati vegetarians consume foods rich in polyunsaturated oils, as groundnut, cottonseed, and simsim oils, yet were not "protected from coronary occlusion by a high intake of unsaturated fatty acids."</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In an epidemiological study of coronary heart disease in a general population of 106,000 Americans conducted over a one year period, W.J. Zukel and his coworkers found the highly provocative fact that farmers showed a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease than males of other groups, in spite of the fact that there were no substantial differences in their mean caloric intake or fat and cholesterol consumption (Zukel, W. J., et al. Am. J. Pub. Health, 49:1630. 1959).</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> In an epidemiological study of two Polynesian island groups, Hunter compared the diet, body build, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol levels of the tradition-following Atiu and Mitiaro with the more Europeanized Raroyongan Neighbors (Hunter, J.D. Fed. Proc., 21, Supp. 11:36, 1962). The Atiu-Mitiaro people live on a diet low in calories and protein but rich in highly saturated coconut fat. Hunter found that 25 percent of Rarotongans (males) suffered from hypertension as compared to only 10 percent of the Atiu-Mitiaro males. While the serum cholesterol levels of the saturated coconut fat-eating Atiu-Mitiaro males were higher (as high as European males), Hunter was unable to discover by electrocardiographic readings any tendency to coronary heart disease.</span></p> <p style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> Finally we turn to the early primitive Eskimo who subsisted almost totally on an excessively high animal fat diet. In an early 1927 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (May), in an article titled "Health of a Carnivorous Race," Dr. William Thomas reports that of 142 adults between the ages of forty and sixty who were completely examined, he found no unusual signs of vascular or renal morbidity, and all indications were that diseases of the cardiovascular system were not prevalent among these people. This is in agreement with other reports of scientists of the primitive Eskimo (e.g. C. Lieb. J. A. M. A., July, 1926; V. Stefannsson, in his book Cancer: Disease of Civilization, p. 76; I. M. Rabinowitch, Canad. Med. Assoc. J., 31:487, 1936; W. Price, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. New York : Hoeber, 1939).</span></p> <span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" > It is clear, therefore, that adult males of a widely differing ethnic stock can subsist on a high fat, high cholesterol, high caloric diet, and yet remain relatively free of cardiovascular disorders. Even if prevailing views are to the contrary, I think that the evidence points strongly toward the conclusion that the nutritional environment of the body cells - involving minerals, amino acids, and vitamins - is crucial, and that the amount of fat or cholesterol consumed is relatively inconsequential.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" > 55. Antar, M.A., et al. "Changes in retail market food supplies in the United States . . . ." Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 14:169, 1964.</span>David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-88460721639399599402008-01-19T05:32:00.000-08:002008-02-09T07:38:03.600-08:00The heart-healthy diet: does it protect your health?At least where nutrition is concerned, comments that follow articles published on the internet indicate how schooling, advertising, consensus of opinion, authority, experience, and even personal preference can instill prejudice. Consider, for example, the following response to <a rel="nofollow" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/story?id=3654291&page=1"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200661014_0">this ABC News segment</span></a> by a student majoring in nutrition<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"You all should be sued for every penny you are worth for airing and promoting the Gary Taubes section. I guess the fact that he has NO research of his own to prove his theories and the fact that what he says HAS been proven incorrect by scientific studies holds no merit with your network. For the average person, with no nutrition education background, this could easily be believed (Taubes info) and if his methods are practiced, America's obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease epidemic will continue to increase. As a nutrition major in college, I am appalled that anyone would publicize such nonsense. I have always enjoyed watching your morning show, however, after seeing what kind of harmful information you advocate, I will never again watch GMA OR any other program aired by ABC, and I will be sure to inform my colleagues of the information you are advocating (I am sure they will follow suit and boycott your network). As I mentioned in beginning, I hope that every health organization and medical association responds as appropriate. As a respected (or formerly respected, in my case) news network, you really should evaluate what you choose to air more carefully, as many people accept what you air as fact. You should really be ashamed for advocating information that is so blatantly wrong and potentially harmful for the health of America. At least I know now where to go if I ever get any random ideas that I want all of America to hear."</span></span><br /><br />As an interesting comparison, here is comment about the same <a rel="nofollow" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/story?id=3654291&page=1"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200661014_0">ABC News </span></a>segment by a more experienced person, also with health science schooling.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">" I am a RN. I had all the typical nutrition and biology classes while achieving my degree. The nutrition advice was the same low fat dogma that is preached today. Over the course of time, looking for answers to my own health problems; morbid obesity, hypertension, insulin dependent diabetes, PCOS, Bipolar Disorder, yeast over growth, etc. I found the carb restricted approach, higher fat and moderate protein consumption. I have since lost 200+ lbs. I no longer require medications for all but one of my diagnoses, Bipolar Disorder. Those have been decreased to the minimum doses.The brain functions better on a higher fat diet, as does the heart, saturated fat at that."</span></span><br /><br />Here's more comment by another health professional with some sage advice at the end.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"I'm a hospice nurse, and I am amazed at the amount of surprising cancer cases I see. I'm talking people in their 40's, 50's, 60's, with active lives, just totally struck down and they have no idea why. I heard some oncologists I've worked with talk about sugar and carbohydrate, and how it feeds cancer cells. Those of you who are a bit older, and following standard advice...be very, very careful with your diets. Don't assume that what the media tells you isn't paid for by big business. Do your research."</span></span><br /><br />Finally, with permission from Fred Ottoboni, PhD and Alice Ottoboni, PhD, authors of <a style="font-style: italic;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=wPrfdvM5V4gC&dq=the+modern+nutritional+diseases&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=MT-f_zWo4z&sig=vpMVRrCWJZyQMv9YjLd_2lG912M" class="l"><b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_2">The Modern Nutritional Diseases</span></b></a><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span> here are some insights as to how science works shared by two retired public health scientists who became suspicious of conventional wisdom rather late in their careers:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Introduction<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It is not unusual nowadays to see family members and friends taking costly prescription drugs or being hospitalized for such illnesses as heart attack, stroke, or cancer. At the same time, a day seldom passes without some message in the public media from nutrition and government agencies advising that these same health problems can be prevented - or even cured - by a heart-healthy diet. This recommended diet severely restricts red meat, eggs, butter, and saturated fat and promotes low-fat, low-cholesterol foods plus an abundance of grain-based breads, cereals, and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The national education program touting the diet for heart disease prevention began about a half century ago. The great increases in sales of low-fat, low-cholesterol, and high-carbohydrate foods and polyunsaturated vegetable oils that have resulted since then is good evidence that this public education program has been very effective. Today, millions of Americans are following the recommended low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-carbohydrate dietary regime.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Despite this major dietary change, national health statistics show that attack rates (new cases) of cardiovascular diseases and a number of other chronic conditions, including high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, and type-2 diabetes, have been steadily increasing. It is becoming evident that we are now in the midst of an epidemic of what we call the modern nutritional diseases.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">When we were growing up, there was little public awareness that cardiovascular diseases might be related to diet. Obesity and adult-onset diabetes 9 type-2 diabetes) were uncommon and few people had ever heard of cholesterol. People had an intuitive feeling that nutrition was important to health, but what knowledge they had did not extend much beyond a few vitamins, primarily <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_3">vitamin C</span> and B vitamins. There was a general consensus that a hearty meal of meat and potatoes was a healthful one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We learned about the heart-healthy diet when we entered the field of public health over 40 years ago. By that time the statistical association between cardiovascular diseases and saturated fats and cholesterol in the diet was accepted by the medical and nutrition communities as being more than a chance relationship. It formed the basis for official government policy and dietary recommendations. People were advised to reduce their consumption of animal fats and replace them with vegetable fats, which contain little saturated fat and no cholesterol.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">People were further urged to restrict or eliminate the use of animal foods (because of their saturated fat and cholesterol content) and replace them with grains, breads, and pasta to make up for the loss of calories. At the time we had no reason to doubt that these changes were healthful ones. we reduced our intake of saturated fats by substituting vegetable oils and margarine for butter and switched from whole milk to skim milk. We reduced our consumption of red meats, ate cereal instead of eggs, and added more whole grain products to our daily fare.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">By the mid-1970s, in the course of our work, we were becoming aware of some reports in the scientific literature that hinted of a conflict with the prevailing nutritional philosophy. The wisdom of the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet was beginning to be challenged more frequently and more openly. We were starting to hear about the observations and theories of scientists who found the official heart-healthy nutritional recommendations potentially dangerous. At the same time, we were also aware that the rates of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type-2 diabetes had increased dramatically over the past several decades and were reaching epidemic proportions. However, at the time, we did not make an association between the increasing incidence of these diseases, which normally are associated with the aging process, and the dietary changes that had occurred over the past several decades.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We followed the controversy with only academic interest until a few years later when a routine physical examination showed that one of us had slightly elevated blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides - not life threatening, but something to follow. These findings disturbed us. We were only in our mid-fifties at the time. We had been following the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet that traditional nutritional science recommended as a healthful one. The controversy now assumed a personal interest. Was there merit in the reports we had been hearing that the heart-healthy diet might not be what it was labeled? What should we do? These thoughts prompted us to do what our professional training had taught us to do - go to the library, delve into the scientific literature, and try to find the answers to our questions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We were both scientists who had worked for many years in the field of disease investigation and prevention. This work had taught us that disease, even in older adults, does not just happen but is caused by something. And, time and again, this work taught us that the answers to most questions involving the causation and prevention of disease were already known - they were just buried in the scientific literature that resides in the libraries of all major universities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We decided to examine the heart-healthy diet and why it had become the national panacea for cardiovascular diseases. We also decided to investigate the overall relationship between diet and the chronic diseases that were thought to occur only in older people but were now beginning to afflict young adults and even children. Why had the dietary changes that had been imposed on the public many years before not been effective? Why were the numbers of new cases of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and perhaps even some forms of cancer increasing instead of decreasing?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">With these thoughts in mind we began our long search of the literature, both scientific and popular. In general we learned that lifestyle and nutrition, not genetics and not luck, were the most powerful factors affecting health and well being. Further, it became apparent that unhealthful lifestyles and faulty nutrition were affecting the health not only of older adults but also of people in all age groups. We learned that popular notions concerning the adverse effects of dietary fats and cholesterol, which were the foundation of the heart-healthy diet, were not based on scientific facts. What we read in the popular press was not what we read in the scientific literature.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Reports in the popular press, which are the major source of information on nutrition for the average person, are not always reliable. Many reporters are not experts in the fields they write about. The do not check the accuracy of information in press releases, and usually do not include references to the scientific literature to document the statements and recommendations made. This lack of documentation by health reporters has long been a concern to us. It is a circumstance that makes it difficult for readers to check the accuracy of reporting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Finding trustworthy information in bookstores also is not easy. Popular books on health and nutrition, like media reports, health newsletters, and direct mail advertising, run the gamut from total quackery to solid science. How can the average person distinguish between the two? The answer is, "he can't - at least not without a lot of work." Despite the difficulty, the question of whom and what to believe is a very important one to anyone interested in good health and long life. Perhaps the best advice is: approach all recommendations for health and well being with a large quantity of skepticism; study all sides of an issue before coming to a conclusion; investigate the source or sources of the recommendations; and learn the clues to pseudo science (Chapter 9).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Our primary sources of information were scientific journals and textbooks. We reviewed the epidemiological studies that examined the association between diet and various diseases. We returned to our human biochemistry texts that outlined the pathways followed by nutrients in the body. We looked more closely at leading causes of disability and death among adults. The hard facts were startling. They clearly pointed to a strong association between the major causes of death, particularly among older people, and the highly touted low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-polyunsaturated vegetable oil diets that had been promoted for the last 40 or more years. But even more disconcerting, we discovered in our research that modern nutritional dogma, as epitomized by the famous Food Pyramid (1), is based, at best, on bad epidemiology or, at worst, fiction.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Our investigations confirmed our suspicion that the scientists that were challenging the validity of the heart-healthy diet were correct; the long-standing national dietary policy probably was causing disease rather than preventing it. Published epidemiological, biochemical, and dietary studies did not support the idea that the heart-healthy diet prevented heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, or hypercholesterolemia. Other studies made clear that these atherosclerotic diseases plus adult-onset diabetes, obesity, and cancer probably all shared the same underlying cause, namely the modern American heart-healthy diet.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Especially reassuring were the number of well-documented, popular books on health and nutrition that also supported such a conclusion (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). Further, it is an accepted truth that once the cause of a disease is known, good preventive programs can usually be formulated. Such programs have been developed and published by these authors. We not only refer to them frequently throughout this book but also recommend them highly. They are easy to read and understand and, what is more important, they can also stand the test of scientific scrutiny.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">During the years of our study of the relationship between diet and the modern nutritional diseases, we often discussed the subject with our family and friends. They expressed interest during our conversations and asked many questions, so we finally decided to write a few pages that we thought would be helpful to them. The volume of information we gathered kept growing until it was many pages, and then finally it became a book.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">This book would have been shorter if it included only our personal views and opinions accompanied by recommendations of what and what not to do. However, to merely tell people that the diet recommended for the past 50 years by nutrition and medical associations and government agencies was wrong was not acceptable. Such a publication would be no more worthy of belief than the nutritional nonscience that appears every day on television, in the newspapers, and in direct mail advertising. We could not expect our family and friends, much less strangers, based on our words alone, to reject the dietary advice of organizations that presumably had been created to protect and preserve their health.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">With recognition that a credible book would require clear documentation of the information it contained, we began assembling the data, including figures and references to the published scientific literature required to support the conclusions and advice we offered. Thus, at the expense of brevity, we have included explanations of the reasons for our conclusions accompanied by numerous references to the scientific literature and texts that we used as our authorities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Two chapters in this book, "The New Epidemics and the New Diet" and "The Connection," describe the current American diet and its impact on health, particularly in older adults. These two chapters were especially difficult to write, because they obviously conflict with long-standing and widely followed American dietary policy. In order to leave little doubt about their veracity, these two chapters are purposely detailed and amply referenced with citations to the scientific literature. Details of biochemical pathways and mechanisms are also included, because they are required not only to explain and document important nutritional concepts but also to illustrate the beauty and logic involved in the construction of the human body.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We expect that much of what we have written in the following chapters will be challenged by advocates of traditional nutrition, because the proposition that the heart-healthy diet is an underlying cause of many of today's chronic diseases is contrary to longstanding nutritional teachings and governmental policies. In view of this, it is important to stress that the biochemistry presented in this book is established scientific fact. The references we cite are from recognized scientific journals and textbooks, not cryptic writings hidden in obscure or ancient papers. A question that has baffled us through the years, given that all this information is freely available, why is it largely ignored by nutrition academia and government agencies?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">What follows here is what we have learned over a period of years and what we have practiced in our daily lives. It is not a panacea. It will not stop the march of time. It will not stop the onset of gray hair and the progression of years. But we know our study and research has improved the status of our own health and the quality of our lives, and we believe that the information contained herein can have a positive impact on the lives and health of all people, not just the elderly. In this book we describe what we consider of value for improved health at any age and the reasons for our conclusions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The information in this book should help you feel better, live longer, avoid the modern nutritional diseases, and be happier and more active as you grow older. The ideal is to keep all systems functioning well until that point where everything wears out and fails all at once, like the fabled one-hoss shay (10). How tragic it is, for example, to have a sound body and mind capable of functioning efficiently for twenty or more years stilled by a heart attack or stroke.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> References</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">1.) USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Food Guide Pyramid</span>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usda.gov/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_4">http://www.usda.gov/</span></a><br />2.) Atkins, Robert C. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_5">New York, NY</span>: Avon Books, Inc. 1999.<br />3.) Eades, Michael R., and Mary Dan Eades, <span style="font-style: italic;">Protein Power, Paperback Edition</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_6">New York, NY</span>: Bantam Books, 1999.<br />4.) Enig, Mary G. <span style="font-style: italic;">Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding Fats, Oils, and Cholesterol</span>. Silver Springs MD: <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_7">Bethesda</span> Press, 2000.<br />5.) Pauling, Linus. How to Live Longer and Feel Better. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_8">New York, NY</span>: W.H. Freeman and Co., 1986.<br />6.) Sears, Barry. <span style="font-style: italic;">Enter the Zone</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_9">New York, NY</span>: Harper Collins Publishers, 1995.<br />7.) Simopoulos, Artemis P. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Omega Plan</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_10">New York, NY</span>: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998.<br />8.) McCully, K. and McCully, M. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Heart Revolution: The Vitamin Breakthrough that Lowers Homocysteine, Cuts your Risk of Heart Disease, and Protects your Health</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_11">New York, NY</span>: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999.<br />9.) Ravnskov, Uffe. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cholesterol Myth: Exposing the Myth that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease</span>. <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200749832_12">Washington, DC</span>: New Trends Publishing Inc., 2000.<br />10.) Oliver Wendel Holmes. <span style="font-style: italic;">The One Hoss Shay</span>, Copyright 1891 by Houghton, Mifflin & Co.</span><br /><br />Here's a review (<a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2008/01/15-new-and-essential-diet-health-books.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199602890_1">15 New And Essential Diet & Health Books I've Been Reading Lately</span></a>) of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Modern Nutritional Diseases</span> by low-carb enthusiast Jimmy Moore.<br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >So much of the research into the most destructive health ailments we now face is focusing on the role of the diet. This is something Dr. Fred Ottoboni and his wife Dr. Alice Ottoboni know a thing or two about. Before retirement, they had spent many years of their career investigating, studying, and researching disease occurrence among various people groups around the world and they discovered something quite revealing in light of our current crisis with obesity, diabetes and worse: much of it is preventable by simply ignoring the high-carb, low-fat, low-cholesterol advice that has sadly become accepted as the "healthy" diet.<br /><br />In <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FModern-Nutritional-Diseases-Prevent-Diabetes%2Fdp%2F091524103X%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1199567451%26sr%3D1-1&tag=livilavidalow-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><i><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1200671127_0">Modern Nutritional Diseases</span></i></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=livilavidalow-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="margin: 0px;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />, Drs. Ottoboni explain in meticulous detail why those diets are useless against most modern diseases and shares the research showing the elimination of sugars and starches will put us back on the road to health faster than removing saturated fat and cholesterol from our diet. There's even an invaluable chapter on how to distinguish good science from bad science among the many voices telling us what the facts are.<br /><br />The references and charts contained in this book make it well worth having in your low-carb library. I'll warn you now that it does get a bit technical in some areas, but this stuff isn't simple either. There are many things to evaluate and analyze in the process of coming to the conclusions about nutrition and metabolism that Drs. Ottoboni do. This is every bit as good a book to read as Gary Taubes' <i>Good Calories, Bad Calories</i> was because it complements much of the same concepts and ideas.<br /><br />My favorite part is at the end in a chapter called "What do you do now?" the authors give you practical instructions about making the changes you need in order to ward off the modern nutritional diseases in your own life. Specifics about diet, supplements, exercise, and suggested resources for further education are provided. This is an invaluable tool for anyone following a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach or who wants to learn more about why this way of eating works so well.</span>David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2104888344873779282.post-72959878787215493872008-01-05T07:09:00.000-08:002008-02-09T07:48:12.221-08:00Is saturated fat a health hazard?If there's a doctrine that has achieved universal acceptance in the political arena, in public health, in medicine, and in the commercial sector, it's the idea that saturated fat is an artery-clogging health hazard.<br /><br />Over the past five decades this idea has spread about the globe. Here in the USA it has both undermined the health of Americans and caused politicians to squander unimaginable sums of taxpayer dollars. Arguably, it is the major reason why vascular diseases remain the number 1 cause of death in many developed countries.<br /><br />This doctrine is also largely responsible for the current epidemic of type 2 diabetes among young and old alike. As for obesity, fear of developing clogged arteries prevents many from consuming the amount and kinds of fats that would promote <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_3">weight loss</span>.<br /><br />Who adheres to this doctrine? Just about everybody; all the major health organizations including the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_4">American Medical Association</span>, the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_5">American Heart Association</span>, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the American Dietetic Association, and the American Diabetes Association, federal government agencies such as the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_6">FDA</span>, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_7">CDC</span>, USDA, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_8">NIH</span>, and HHS, the food manufacturing, sweeteners, and edible oils industries, vegetarian activists, and the CSPI. In addition, most schools of public health teach that saturated fat is a health hazard. Here is documentation from various websites:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Health Organizations</span><br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/75/American_Medical_Association.htm" class="l"><b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_9">American Medical Association</span></b></a><br /><br /><span class="maintext">"The Council is deeply concerned about any diet that advocates an 'unlimited' intake of saturated fats and cholesterol-rich foods." </span><br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4582" class="l"><b><b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_10">American Heart Association</span></b></b></a><br /><br /><span class="content">"Limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and/or cholesterol, such as whole-milk dairy products, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolks. Instead choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol."<br /></span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/smart1.htm" class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','3','')">National Heart Lung and Blood Institute</a><br /><br />Be Heart Smart!<br />Eat Foods Lower in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Why should you be concerned about saturated fat?</span> <p> </p> <p>Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol the most. Over time, this extra cholesterol can clog your arteries. You are then at risk for having a heart attack or stroke.</p><h2><span style="font-size:100%;">Why should you be concerned about cholesterol?</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your body makes all the cholesterol you need. Eating foods high in saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol levels. The higher your blood cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart disease. Too much cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries. You are then at risk for having a heart attack, a stroke, or poor circulation.</span></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthyweightforkids.org/read/position.htm" class="l"><b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_11">American Dietetic Association</span></b>: Nutrition standards <b>...</b></a></span><br /></h2> <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" class="content" >"</span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Although intake of fat and saturated fat has declined, it still is consumed in amounts that exceed recommendations."</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" class="content" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >"Healthy, growing children need a balanced diet that includes <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_12">fruits, vegetables</span>, whole grains, lean meats and/or legumes, and low-fat dairy products to achieve a dietary pattern that maintains appropriate blood cholesterol levels and optimal energy."</span><br /><span class="content"><br /></span><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/foodlabel/specific-fats.jsp" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_13">American Diabetes Association</span></a><br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Everyone</span> (emphasis mine) should eat less saturated fat. Saturated fat can raise your cholesterol level which increases your chances of having heart disease."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Government Agencies:</span><br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/fdhclm.html" class="l"><b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_14">Food and Drug Administration</span></b></a><br /><br />"Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol increase total and low-density (bad) blood cholesterol levels and, thus, the risk of coronary heart disease."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dga/dga95/lowfat.html" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_15">U.S. Department of Agriculture</span></a><br /><br />"Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than other forms of fat. Reducing saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories will help you lower your blood cholesterol level."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050112.html" class="l"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_16">Health and Human Services: New Dietary Guidelines</span></a><br /><br />"Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol..."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00024921.htm" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_17">Center for Disease Control</span></a><br /><br />"Although the findings in this report indicate a decline in the mean percentage of total fat energy intake derived from total dietary fat and from saturated fat, these intake levels remain higher than the year 2000 objective."<br /><br />"The findings in this report can assist in tracking progress toward achieving the goals of public health initiatives aimed at reducing and modifying total dietary fat and saturated fat intakes."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002468.htm" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_18">National Institutes of Health</span></a><br /><br /><div>SATURATED FATS</div> <div>"These are the biggest dietary cause of high LDL levels ("bad cholesterol"). When looking at a food label, pay very close attention to the percentage of saturated fat and avoid or limit any foods that are high. Saturated fat should be limited to 10% of calories. Saturated fats are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_19">ice cream</span>, cream, and fatty meats."<br /><br />(Note: the above statement is blatantly false. Excessive refined carbohydrate consumption is the major cause of high LDL levels.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegetarian Activists:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm06autumn/vegan.html" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_20">Physicians for Responsible Medicine</span></a><br /></div><br /><strong>1. A Vegan Diet: Avoiding Animal Products</strong><br />"Animal products contain fat, especially <em>saturated</em> fat, which is linked to heart disease, insulin resistance, and certain forms of cancer. These products also contain cholesterol, something never found in foods from plants."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.goveg.com/healthConcerns.asp" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_21">GoVeg.com</span></a><br /><br />"Well-planned vegetarian diets provide us with all the nutrients that we need, minus all the saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants found in animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products."<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/200711281.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_22">Center for Science in the Public Interest</span></a><br /><br />"Senators Harkin and Murkowski plan to offer their school nutrition bill as an amendment to the Farm bill."<br /><br />"Notably, the soft drink industry and many major food manufacturers are supporting, not opposing, the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nutrition_amendment_fact_sheet.pdf"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_23">Harkin-Murkowski amendment</span></a>. The amendment also is supported by <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/amendsupport.pdf"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_24">100 organizations</span></a>, including the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_25">American Medical Association</span>, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_26">American Public Health Association</span>, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_27">American Dental Association</span>, National PTA, American Association of School Administrators, and the American Federation of Teachers."<br /><br />"The amendment also would set limits for calories, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat in school snacks."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Public Health:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.html" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_28">Harvard School of Public Health</span></a><br /><br />"Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol because they tend to boost both good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol. The net effect is negative, meaning it's important to limit saturated fats."<br /><br /><h2 class="r"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.monroecounty.gov/health-index.php" class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','4','')"><b>Public Health</b> | Monroe County, NY</a></span></h2><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >TRANS FATS</span><br />Trans fat is made when an otherwise healthful liquid (vegetable) oil is chemically changed to make a semi-solid product called "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oil. Food manufacturers began using these altered products a number of years ago because it was shown to increase shelf life, texture, and flavor and at the time it was thought to be a healthful alternative to saturated fat. Trans fat is commonly found in deep fried foods, baked goods, snack foods, and many processed foods.<div class="text"> <p>All fats are not the same. There are "good" fats and "bad" fats. When we eat foods high in saturated fat or trans fat, it raises the bad (LDL) cholesterol in our blood. Having high LDL cholesterol increases the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US, in New York, and in Monroe County. Trans fat is even worse than saturated fat because it actually lowers the good (HDL) cholesterol in the blood. Eating foods high in poly and monounsaturated fat have a good effect on cholesterol levels and are encouraged. </p> <p>Federal guidelines recommend that total fat intake be 20-35% of total calories. Saturated fat intake should be less than 10%, and trans fat consumption should be kept as close to zero as possible.</p></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Journals and mainstream press:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><a rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" href="http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/135/3/556" class="l"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_29">The Journal of Nutrition</span></a><br /><br />"Saturated fat (SF) intake contributes to the risk of coronary<sup> </sup>heart disease (CHD) mortality."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><a rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060524222717.htm"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_30">Science Daily</span></a><br /><br />"Dr. Carter emphasized he does not advocate strict low-carbohydrates for long-term weight management. Such diets may adversely overload the kidneys with protein and lead dieters to consume more artery-clogging saturated fats and cholesterol, he said."<br /><br /><br />Back to my comment:<br /><br />Public health at the state level marches in lockstep with the federal government. For example, the Montana <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_31">Department of Health and Human Services</span> is still using the <span class="c3" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span class="bodyText c2"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/PHSD/cardiovascular/pdf/mtcdpcplan.pdf"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_32">Cardiovascular Disease State Plan</span></a></span></span> adopted and implemented during the Racicot administration. The main focus is toward reducing cholesterol levels. Here are some excerpts from the report:<br /><br />On page 13 one reads, "In 1999, Montanans who participated in a CVD telephone survey and who had high cholesterol were asked how they planned to decrease their cholesterol levels.The most common responses were to reduce their fat intake and increase their exercise levels."<br /><br />On page 22 one reads, "Educate patients who have high cholesterol or who have had a myocardial infarction about the AHA and National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines for managing high cholesterol."<br /><br />Page 27 "HP2010 Objective - Fat intake: Increase to at least 75% the proportion of persons aged 2 and older who consume no more than 30% if calories from fat."<br /><br />Page 28 "Promote 1% (milk) as the standard to be served in Montana Schools."<br /><br />Since government agencies at the federal level are either controlled or heavily influenced by special interests such as the food manufacturing, edible oils, sweeteners, and beverage industries, it makes sense for public health at the state level to develop dietary guidelines and strategies for prevention of chronic diseases based on the best science available, not federal recommendations. In my state, current recommendations aimed at persuading Montanans to eat fewer calories (by restricting fat calories) and exercise more (MTNAPA) reflect an inadequate understanding of factors such as biochemical variability and fat and carbohydrate metabolism.<br /><br />While the best science available regarding fat metabolism is not to be found in textbooks and government publications, the internet increasingly provides ready access to the truth about saturated fats. For example, view this webcast (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_details.php?webcastid=21216"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_34">The Quality of Calories: What Makes Us Fat and Why Nobody Seems to Care</span></a>) of a recent lecture by science writer Gary Taubes delivered at the University of California Berkeley. I also encourage you to read the book (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400040787?ie=UTF8&tag=stormysblog-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400040787"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1199546399_35">Good Calories, Bad Calories</span></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stormysblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400040787" style="margin: 0px;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />) which will take considerably more time as it consists of 550 pages of text and 100 pages of notes.David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16372232359108968083noreply@blogger.com2