In the 1950s Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper comparing the mortality rates through heart disease and the consumption of saturated fats. The study showed a positive correlation in the SIX countries used in the study. What most people don’t know is that Dr. Keys conveniently left out data from another SIXTEEN countries because they did not show this correlation.
Hmmm. Six countries show that saturated fat consumption was linked with heart disease and sixteen countries disagreed. What would you conclude?
If he had used data from all 22 countries, the conclusion would have been very different. That is, those who consume the highest percentage of saturated fat have the LOWEST risk of heart disease.
You can hear more details of this incredible myth in this video where Dr. Mercola interviews New York Times featured journalist Gary Taubes. Gary is the author of two excellent books:
- “Good Calories, Bad Calories”
- “Why We Get Fat”
You can read more on this story in Dr. Mercola’s article “Why I Believe Over Half of Your Diet Should Be Made Up of This”.
A Note about Gary’s Books.
Good Calories, Bad Calories – We have been taught that fat is bad, carbohydrates are better. We have also been taught that we need to eat less and exercise more. This book published in 2008 argues that the problem isn’t carbohydrates, it’s REFINED carbohydrate like simple sugar, white flour, pastas and breads made with the white flour, etc. This book shows is that a lot of what we have learned about diet is just plain wrong.
Why We Get Fat – This book builds on the previous one with fresh evidence about what actually is making us fat, and more importantly, how we can change our habits. He discusses the “misguided” notion of “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat. He talks about science that has been ignored, why some people are fat and others are thin, what roles genetics and exercise play in our weight, what we should be eating and what we shouldn’t. This really is a great nutrition guide that is up-to-date and based on science (published December 2011).