The Truth About
Cholesterol
The Original Research was Flawed...
For decades fat has been blamed for many of our health woes. This thinking was the result of Dr. Ancel Keys and his study of seven countries diets finding "that those with lower saturated fat intake, had lower levels of heart disease". The American Heart Association embraced his recommendations and the consequence was a wave of low fat messages and products like skim milk, margarine,
and the condemnation of the egg.
It has taken researchers decades to show that Keys' research was flawed. For instance he left out countries such as West Germany, and France that had high fat diets but low rates of heart disease. Additionally, Keys' study began after WW II, when the island of Crete which he highlighted, was working hard to rebuild from German occupation. Another Greek Island, Corfu ate far less saturated fat than Crete but had much higher rates of heart
disease.
The Science You Don't Hear About...
Doctors still hold onto the idea that fats are dangerous because reducing saturated fat does indeed lower LDL cholesterol, (often called the bad cholesterol). However, lowering saturated fat also lowers HDL (often called the good cholesterol), which has a protective effect on cardiovascular health. ...keep reading
