Fat: The New Health Paradigm

I have just read the opening summary of a startling document published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute.

Fat: The New Health Paradigm

I predict that this publication is going to become one of the most hotly debated documents in the fat vs carbs diet wars this year. The conclusions the authors arrive at are summarised very succinctly on the opening pages.

Their conclusions will not surprise many in the on-line diabetes community as most of us have been saying this for years (for example Eggs, Carbs and Cholesterol, Cholesterol, Fats, Carbs, Statins and Exercise) but they will cause consternation in many of the world's respected dietetic and diabetes authorities. This is not a journalist's article or a book by an organisation with an agenda or a diet to sell; it is a very well researched and supported scientific paper.

Below are abbreviated selections from the summary; these statements are well supported in the body of the document which I am still in the process of studying. I decided to post early to alert readers to the document and allow others to read it in full.

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Triangulating several topics such as anthropology, breast feeding, evolution of primates, height trends in the human population, or energy needs of our various vital organs, we have concluded that natural fat consumption is lower than “ideal” and if anything could increase safely well beyond current levels.
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Saturated fat has not been a driver of obesity: fat does not make you fat. At current levels of consumption the most likely culprit behind growing obesity level of the world population is carbohydrates.

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A proper review of the so called “fat paradoxes” (France, Israel and Japan) suggests that saturated fats are actually healthy and omega-6 fats, at current levels of consumption in the developed world, are not necessarily so.
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The big concern regarding eating cholesterol-rich foods (e.g. eggs) is completely without foundation. There is basically no link between the cholesterol we eat and the level of cholesterol in our blood.

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Doctors and patients’ focus on “bad” and “good” cholesterol is superficial at best and most likely misleading. The most mentioned factors that doctors use to assess the risk of CVDs—total blood cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)—are poor indicators of CVD risk. In women in particular, TC has zero predictive value if we look at all causes of death. Low blood cholesterol in men could be as bad as very high cholesterol. The best indicators are the size of LDL particles (pattern A or B) and the ratio of TG (triglycerides) to HDL (the “good” cholesterol).

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Based on medical and our own research we can conclude that the intake of saturated fat (butter, palm and coconut oil and lard) poses no risk to our health and particularly to the heart. 

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The main factor behind a high level of saturated fats in our blood is actually carbohydrates, not the amount of saturated fat we eat. Clinical trials show that a low carbohydrate diet is much more effective in lowering the level of saturated fat in our blood than a low-fat diet.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter