Evidence: Saturated vs Polyunsaturated Fats

Layne summarizes RCTs, observational and Mendelian data showing benefits replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturates.

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Episode notes

In this wide-ranging Q&A episode, I tackle some of the most debated topics in nutrition, training, and health — and separate what the evidence actually shows from what’s just noise.

We start with the new food guide pyramid and whether it reflects the current science, then zoom out to look at how the U.S. compares globally in calorie consumption. From there, we dig into protein intake — how much is really needed to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults, and what the best human data actually tells us.

I spend a significant portion of the episode unpacking saturated fat, cardiovascular disease, and cholesterol. We walk through randomized trials, systematic reviews, Mendelian randomization data, and mechanistic evidence to explain why LDL and apolipoprotein B matter, how dietary fats influence cardiovascular risk, and why some popular narratives around butter, seed oils, and lipid oxidation don’t hold up when you zoom out to the totality of human evidence.

I also answer practical questions on fat loss for people who feel burned out by calorie counting — what to do if tracking feels like a full-time job, where the most reliable calorie data actually comes from, and how to approach weight loss without falling into metabolic myths around insulin, glucose spikes, or arbitrary blood sugar cutoffs.

On the training side, we talk about whether the general public should prioritize strength or hypertrophy, what the data says about strength as a predictor of longevity, machines versus free weights, optimal rep ranges for muscle growth, and why different loading schemes can all work when programmed correctly.

I address common myths like creatine and hair loss, explain the biomechanics behind sumo versus conventional deadlifts (and why resetting between reps isn’t “cheating”), and share how I personally eat for health while still applying the same evidence-based principles I recommend to others.

We wrap up with genetics and obesity — how much your genes matter, whether specific variants should change how you eat, and why most people don’t need genetically tailored macro ratios to make progress.

If you’re tired of oversimplified takes, fear-based nutrition advice, and cherry-picked mechanisms, this episode is a deep dive into what the best human research actually says — and how to apply it in the real world.

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