Saturated fat does not clog the arteries

There are many people who blindly believe what others say simply because it goes against the accepted norm.

There are also people who believe the accepted norm because it is...the accepted norm.

This blog is all about analysis, about presenting different views, about THINKING before believing.

Please read this Journal article by Malhotra and others. Ask yourself whether these populists have books to sell, lectures to charge for, media exposure to welcome and encourage. Ask yourself also whether what they say is true.

Here is the paper

Also ask yourself what the effect might be on people who believe what they are saying:

a. If their analysis is correct

b. If their analysis is wrong

We are talking about quality of life on the one hand but life and death on the other.

Here is a reaction:

Prof. Christine Williams, Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, said:

“Snappy editorials recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the British Medical Journal by a well-known cardiologist continue to argue the case for saturated fats as an innocent bystander in cardiovascular disease.  It is unclear what the motivation for publishing these incomplete and limited accounts of the evidence might be at this particular point, since no new research has emerged in the past year or so.

“The editorials fail to cover the extensive literature on effects of saturated fats on cardiovascular health, including adverse effects on  LDL cholesterol, vascular function and susceptibility to clot formation. In particular there is no mention of the largest meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of saturated fat reduction on coronary heart disease, published in 2015, which showed replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats reduced cardiovascular events by 27%. This may be because this highly cautious, well received study reported that the degree of reduction in events was related to the reduction of serum total cholesterol.

“The authors of the editorials rather focus on positive findings from an intervention study in a Mediterranean population from which they conclude that there is no need for people to avoid or replace saturated fats in their diets. Whilst data from the PREDIMED study  are a welcome addition to the literature – as is the focus on whole diets and physical activity – the findings  are not consistent with the conclusion that ‘saturated fats are innocent’.

“Furthermore the nature of their public health advice appears to be one of  ‘Let them eat nuts and olive oil’ with no consideration of how this might be successfully achieved in the UK general population and in people of different ages, socio-economic backgrounds or dietary preferences.  The authors point out that ‘There is no business model or market to help spread this simple yet powerful intervention.’  Some would argue the journals have a very credible business model – based on attracting controversy in an area of great importance to public health where clarity, not confusion, is required?”