Heart disease article?

determined_14

Thoughts on this? It strikes me as a few facts wrapped in a lot of scare mongering language and unproven hypotheses. But I'm not an expert, by any means!
http://www.australiannationalreview.com/world-renown-heart-surgeon-speaks-heart-disease/

whmscll

I just skimmed the article, so I can't speak to the foods he is saying are good or bad to eat, but I know that what he says about inflammation contributing to heart disease is true, at least as far as recent study data are being interpreted. Google "vulnerable plaque."

Need2Exerc1se

I'm not sure in what way it would be considered scare mongering. Many nutrition scientists have been saying the processed foods and fast digesting carbs can lead to heart disease for years now.

lemurcat12

Well, there's this part: "The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences."

Blaming the dietary recommendations is wrong, as the idea that the population actually adopted a low fat diet and got fat as a result isn't accurate. Total fat didn't actually decrease, and the recommendations were never to replace fat with refined carbs and sugar (or, as seems to have happened, to add them to the mix without reducing sat fat).

He's also not representing the mainstream view on cholesterol (bodily, I mean, not dietary) in saying it doesn't matter.

Need2Exerc1se

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Well, there's this part: "The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences."

Blaming the dietary recommendations is wrong, as the idea that the population actually adopted a low fat diet and got fat as a result isn't accurate. Total fat didn't actually decrease, and the recommendations were never to replace fat with refined carbs and sugar (or, as seems to have happened, to add them to the mix without reducing sat fat).

He's also not representing the mainstream view on cholesterol (bodily, I mean, not dietary) in saying it doesn't matter.

He's not representing the mainstream medical community, but it's not out of left field either. Most people with heart disease or who suffer heart attacks do not have high cholesterol.

lemurcat12

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Well, there's this part: "The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences."

Blaming the dietary recommendations is wrong, as the idea that the population actually adopted a low fat diet and got fat as a result isn't accurate. Total fat didn't actually decrease, and the recommendations were never to replace fat with refined carbs and sugar (or, as seems to have happened, to add them to the mix without reducing sat fat).

He's also not representing the mainstream view on cholesterol (bodily, I mean, not dietary) in saying it doesn't matter.

He's not representing the mainstream medical community, but it's not out of left field either. Most people with heart disease or who suffer heart attacks do not have high cholesterol.

But the mainstream position is still that it matters: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp#.Vuh8duIrLcs.

determined_14

Thanks for chiming in. I guess it struck me as using scare tactics because of his loaded language and imagery, like, "That innocent looking sweet roll is loaded with... [practically poison]" and it's going to chafe your arteries like sandpaper!
Not that I think an abundance of sugar and disproportionate omega-6 is healthy, just that he seemed a bit over the top.
But I think lots of his hypotheses and info seems okay, and also not as far off the normal health recommendations as he wanted to portray them.