It both amazes and frustrates me how pervasive the low-fat myth has become. Despite dozens of books, and hundreds of research studies, articles, and reports in medical journals demonstrating proof to the contrary, the vast majority of people still seem to believe that foods like butter (and other saturated fats) are bad for you.
In actuality, this was never a proven fact to begin with. As I explained a couple of months ago, the originator of this myth, Ancel Keys, actually described his conclusion as "the lipid hypothesis" (meaning it was only a theory). But somehow, the idea got into the mainstream media, and before you know it, the low-fat frenzy was on. With thousands of food companies now mass producing low-fat processed food products by the millions, and doctors still recommending a low-fat diet to patients right and left, it's going to be a slow process to turn the tide of public opinion.
That's why I was both surprised and elated to see BUTTER featured on the cover of Time magazine last month!
In actuality, this was never a proven fact to begin with. As I explained a couple of months ago, the originator of this myth, Ancel Keys, actually described his conclusion as "the lipid hypothesis" (meaning it was only a theory). But somehow, the idea got into the mainstream media, and before you know it, the low-fat frenzy was on. With thousands of food companies now mass producing low-fat processed food products by the millions, and doctors still recommending a low-fat diet to patients right and left, it's going to be a slow process to turn the tide of public opinion.
That's why I was both surprised and elated to see BUTTER featured on the cover of Time magazine last month!
In the cover story entitled "Eat Butter: Ending the War on Fat," in the June 23 issue, the truth came out to the public in a big way, revealing the fact that saturated fat was never the culprit in heart disease, diabetes, and the many other modern diseases it has been vilified for over the past 60 years.
Of course, if you've been reading this blog for a while, or have enough interest in your health to have done any research about fats whatsoever, you probably knew this already! Many of the health newsletters I subscribe to have been discussing this truth for 20+ years.
In Health Alert, Vol. 4, Issue 5, published in 1987, the straight-shooting Dr. Bruce West stated that "Eating meat and eggs does not raise blood cholesterol levels or increase the risk of heart disease for the average healthy American. The usual practice of physicians telling people not to eat meat, eggs, or butter is nonsense."
It really might start to make a conscientious person fighting mad when you think about all the harm that has been done to our health over the years, simply by following the "conventional wisdom" that we've all been told over and over - that saturated fat is bad for you....
In fact, this paragraph from nutritionist Liz Wolfe's book, Eat the Yolks, perfectly sums up the reason why I'm so passionate about getting the truth out there:
"Decades of avoiding egg yolks, choosing margarine over butter, and replacing the real foods of our ancestors with low-fat, processed, packaged substitutes have left us with an obesity epidemic, ever-rising rates of chronic disease, and, above all, total confusion about what to eat and why."
Of course, the processed food industry won't let this go lightly. After all, they make billions of dollars per year serving their products to a population that truly believes they are doing the best thing for their health by buying "low-fat" potato chips, reduced-calorie sour cream, and dairy-free "butter spreads." And that's why this will be a long battle. Despite my excitement at the Time Magazine cover story (and accompanying online video explaining the truth about different kinds of fats), I do realize we have a long way to go before the majority of Americans walk into the grocery store and go right for the real butter without a twinge of guilt.
Of course, if you've been reading this blog for a while, or have enough interest in your health to have done any research about fats whatsoever, you probably knew this already! Many of the health newsletters I subscribe to have been discussing this truth for 20+ years.
In Health Alert, Vol. 4, Issue 5, published in 1987, the straight-shooting Dr. Bruce West stated that "Eating meat and eggs does not raise blood cholesterol levels or increase the risk of heart disease for the average healthy American. The usual practice of physicians telling people not to eat meat, eggs, or butter is nonsense."
It really might start to make a conscientious person fighting mad when you think about all the harm that has been done to our health over the years, simply by following the "conventional wisdom" that we've all been told over and over - that saturated fat is bad for you....
In fact, this paragraph from nutritionist Liz Wolfe's book, Eat the Yolks, perfectly sums up the reason why I'm so passionate about getting the truth out there:
"Decades of avoiding egg yolks, choosing margarine over butter, and replacing the real foods of our ancestors with low-fat, processed, packaged substitutes have left us with an obesity epidemic, ever-rising rates of chronic disease, and, above all, total confusion about what to eat and why."
Of course, the processed food industry won't let this go lightly. After all, they make billions of dollars per year serving their products to a population that truly believes they are doing the best thing for their health by buying "low-fat" potato chips, reduced-calorie sour cream, and dairy-free "butter spreads." And that's why this will be a long battle. Despite my excitement at the Time Magazine cover story (and accompanying online video explaining the truth about different kinds of fats), I do realize we have a long way to go before the majority of Americans walk into the grocery store and go right for the real butter without a twinge of guilt.
In fact, just the other day at the office, I overheard a couple of my co-workers describing butter as "bad stuff" (with a guilty smile), and then discussing which oil-based butter-flavored spread tasted the most like real butter - without even a nod to the fact that most of these spreads are made from hydrogenated vegetable oils - one of the absolute worst things you can possibly consume! (I won't go into all the details of why that is again here, but for a detailed explanation of good fats and bad fats, be sure to see April's posts - Is Fat Really Bad for You - Part 1 and Part 2.)
Even with more and more doctors and researchers coming around to realizing the truth and changing their recommendations, and more and more mainstream media exposure, it could be 10 years or more before we are back on the right track regarding dietary fat.
In the meantime, I will continue my mission to educate as many people as possible about the truth of the matter, so that you can make good choices for your health based on fact - not speculation and media hype. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter for updates and news about myths and lies that affect your health - and help us spread the Truth about real health!
Still not convinced? Here are some more resources to check out (the list could go on for several pages, but this is a good start - pick whichever ones interest you the most, and educate yourself further on this important topic):
Time Magazine Cover Story - Eat Butter: Ending The War On Fat, Vol. 183, No. 24 (June 23, 2014).
The Big Fat Surprise, by Nina Teicholz.
Eat the Yolks, by Liz Wolfe.
Low-Fat Lies, by Kevin Vigilante, MD, & Mary Flynn
Death By Food Pyramid, by Denise Minger
The Great Cholesterol Myth, by Jonny Bowden & Stephen Sinatra
Big Fat Lies: How the Diet Industry Is Making You Sick, Fat, & Poor, by David Gillespie.
Ignore the Awkward: How the Cholesterol Myths Are Kept Alive, by Uffe Ravnskov.
Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon & Mary Enig.
Even with more and more doctors and researchers coming around to realizing the truth and changing their recommendations, and more and more mainstream media exposure, it could be 10 years or more before we are back on the right track regarding dietary fat.
In the meantime, I will continue my mission to educate as many people as possible about the truth of the matter, so that you can make good choices for your health based on fact - not speculation and media hype. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter for updates and news about myths and lies that affect your health - and help us spread the Truth about real health!
Still not convinced? Here are some more resources to check out (the list could go on for several pages, but this is a good start - pick whichever ones interest you the most, and educate yourself further on this important topic):
Time Magazine Cover Story - Eat Butter: Ending The War On Fat, Vol. 183, No. 24 (June 23, 2014).
The Big Fat Surprise, by Nina Teicholz.
Eat the Yolks, by Liz Wolfe.
Low-Fat Lies, by Kevin Vigilante, MD, & Mary Flynn
Death By Food Pyramid, by Denise Minger
The Great Cholesterol Myth, by Jonny Bowden & Stephen Sinatra
Big Fat Lies: How the Diet Industry Is Making You Sick, Fat, & Poor, by David Gillespie.
Ignore the Awkward: How the Cholesterol Myths Are Kept Alive, by Uffe Ravnskov.
Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon & Mary Enig.
RSS Feed