You're about 5 years behind the times. Many nutritionists no longer believe in a simple relationship between fat intake and cardiovascular disease. There have been numerous recent studies that show this, including the meta-analysis (analysis of 21 different studies) summarized below (from the Harvard School of Public Health). Cardiovascular disease is much more complex than just eating, or not eating, fat. CVD is the result of ALL nutrients consumed and the resulting hormone reactions. Fat intake is only one small piece of the puzzle. If you want to believe that "no fat" is the best way to go, that's your business, but there's a lot of scientific evidence to the contrary, including very strong evidence regarding the many health benefits of olive oil (monounsaturated fats) that provide membrane fluidity and help protect arteries at the cellular level. ------------------------------------------------- Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease1,2,3,4,5 Patty W Siri-Tarino, Qi Sun, Frank B Hu and Ronald M Krauss 1 From the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute Oakland CA (PWS-TRMK)the Departments of Nutrition (QSFBH)Epidemiology (FBH) Harvard School of Public Health Boston MA. 2 PWS-T and QS contributed equally to this work. 3 The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the National Center for Research Resources (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov) or the National Institutes of Health. 4 Supported by the National Dairy Council (PWS-T and RMK) and made possible by grant UL1 RR024131-01 from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research (PWS-T and RMK). QS was supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Unilever Corporate Research. FBH was supported by NIH grant HL60712. 5 Address correspondence to RM Krauss, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, 5700 Martin Luther King Junior Way, Oakland, CA 94609. E-mail: rkrauss@chori.org. ABSTRACT Background: A reduction in dietary saturated fat has generally been thought to improve cardiovascular health. Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence related to the association of dietary saturated fat with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD; CHD inclusive of stroke) in prospective epidemiologic studies. Design: Twenty-one studies identified by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion in this study. A random-effects model was used to derive composite relative risk estimates for CHD, stroke, and CVD. Results: During 5â23 y of follow-up of 347,747 subjects, 11,006 developed CHD or stroke. Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD. The pooled relative risk estimates that compared extreme quantiles of saturated fat intake were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; P = 0.22) for CHD, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.05; P = 0.11) for stroke, and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.11; P = 0.95) for CVD. Consideration of age, sex, and study quality did not change the results. Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat. Received for publication March 6, 2009. Accepted for publication November 25, 2009.
Here's what scientists have to say on the subject of organic versus conventionally grown foods: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52420 http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_articles/organic_food_better_you_conventionally_produced_food
KillTS, why don't you 'bow out' and let Tom run the show. In a few pages, he has been more helpful than you have been in 250 pages
No, I'm on the cutting edge. It isn't simple that much is true. But one thing IS known, FAT MATTERS! I guess you missed the very relevant part where the authors noted that randomized controlled clinical trials in which saturated fat was replaced with polyunsaturated fat observed a reduction in heart disease, and that the ratio between polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat may be a key factor! Don't fool yourself FAT MATTERS!
Killthesunshine, When I set out to change my eating habits (to avoid being put on Lipitor for very high cholesterol) I spoke with experts all across the country(Harvard, Yale, USC, UCLA). Interestingly, most of them did not recommend a super low fat vegetarian diet. A nutritionist designed a diet for me that includes meat and other fats (but eliminates sugar and grains). My cholesterol fell from 290 to 145 over the next 18 months. My triglicerides fell proportionally. My liver and kidney function improved, my C-reactive protein fell like a rock, my blood pressure fell 10 points and my percent body fat fell from 21% to 16%. Apparently you think this is a bad result. If so, that's okay. It's a free country and you're entitled to your opinion. I wish you the best of luck and great success on your vegetarian diet. Since you started this thread, I think it's only right that you have the last word. Best regards, TD
Why get rid of WHOLE grains? Whole grains have lots of fiber, some have resistant starch which is good for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol.
According to Tom's results, it appears one does NOT need to eat ANY grains in order to achieve great health results.