Page 13 - Spring2013

Caustic Commentary

Sally Fallon Morell takes on the Diet Dictocrats

WRONG ADVICE that risk. But new research has conventional cardiologists
The number one item in the dogma of conventional nutri- scratching their heads. Researchers analyzing results for one
tionists and medical professionals is—and has been for over hundred ninety-seven participants in the Veterans Affairs
fifty years—to substitute polyunsaturated vegetable oils Diabetes Trial looked at frequency of statin use and coronary
for saturated fats. By so doing, we are told, we can prevent artery calcification, a strong indicator of cardiovascular risk.
heart disease, our number one killer. This premise has sent The results showed that more frequent statin use is associated
billions of souls into the aisles of processed foods, with hor- with accelerated coronary artery calcification, even though
rendous consequences, particularly for the next generation. LDL-cholesterol levels were “nearly optimal (Diabetes
And what if such advice is wrong, completely wrong? A new Care.2012 Nov;35(11):2390-2). Said the researchers: “. . . ac-
study should give believers a sinking feeling. The Sydney celerated progression of calcified atherosclerosis in [type-2
Diet Heart Study involved four hundred fifty-eight men aged diabetics] by statins may have the effect of lessening these
thirty to fifty-nine. One group was advised to replace dietary medications’ overall benefit.”
saturated fats with omega-6 oils, while the other received no
specific dietary advice. The result: all-cause mortality and SATURATED FAT AND SPERM COUNT
mortality from coronary heart disease were higher in the “Eating a fatty diet could reduce a man’s sperm count by
intervention group than in controls. These findings are the 40 percent,” declared the Daily Mail, “enough to put every
more remarkable because the researchers lumped “common man off his bacon and egg.” This dire warning referred to a
margarines and shortenings” with saturated fat, so the inter- study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
vention group avoided not only saturated fat but trans fats (ACJN.112.042432v197/2/411), which claimed that saturated
as well. “These findings could have important implications fat was associated with reduced semen quality among seven
for worldwide dietary advice to substitute omega-6 linoleic hundred Danish men. Zoe Harcombe of the U.K. has produced
acid, or polyunsaturated fats in general, for saturated fats a brilliant analysis of the document (www.zoeharcombe.com,
(BMJ 2013;346:e8707). Not a peep from the media, of course; January 10, 2013). She found that the researchers jumped to
the worldwide dietary advice to substitute vegetable oils for sweeping conclusions about differences in fat consumption
animal fats is not likely to end any time soon. that were actually very small, and that they could have equally
concluded from the data that monounsaturated fat and polyun-
MORE REASONS saturated fat also lowered sperm count. The interesting finding
TO AVOID POLYUNSATURATED OILS was that the period of abstinence for those consuming more
In addition to increasing the risk of heart disease, polyun- saturated fat was less, which could explain the lower sperm
saturated oils increase the risk of obesity. Researchers in count. A much more interesting headline would have been:
Southampton, U.K. found that mothers who have higher levels Men who eat more saturated fat have sex more frequently!
of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in their bloodstream
during pregnancy have fatter children (Journal of Clinical UNHEALTHY VACCINATED CHILDREN
Endocrinology & Metabolism January 1, 2013 vol. 98 no. 1 New data provide justification for parents who refuse to vac-
299-307). Additionally, new results from experiments using cinate their children. An ongoing study out of Germany on
animal models show that a high intake of omega-6 led to childhood illness has found a clear disparity between vacci-
overproduction of signaling compounds that stimulate the ap- nated and unvaccinated children. The survey includes data on
petite, with the result that the animals ate more and developed eight thousand unvaccinated children, whose overall disease
obesity (sciencenordic.com/vegetable-oils-promote-obesity). rates were compared to disease rates among the general (vac-
cinated) population. Vaccinated children were nearly twice as
AND MORE WRONG ADVICE likely as unvaccinated children to develop neurodermatitis,
Type-2 diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease and most characterized by chronic itching and scratching. Vaccinated
diabetics are put on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to lower children were about two and one-half more likely to develop
Wise Traditions SPRING 2013 SPRING 2013 Wise Traditions 13