Big Sugar Paid Harvard Experts to Distort Science, Blame Fat and Cholesterol
Feb 13, 2024
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Discover the collusion between the sugar industry and Harvard scientists to blame fat and cholesterol instead of sugar for heart disease. Explore the impact on dietary guidelines and obesity, as well as the manipulation of the medical community. Find parallels between resistance to processed foods and sugar, and learn about the historical context and industry influence on sugar and processed foods.
The sugar industry colluded with Harvard scientists to shift blame from sugar to fat and cholesterol.
Understanding conflicts of interest and industry influence is crucial for accurate health narratives.
Deep dives
The Sugar Industry's Influence on Health Narratives
This podcast episode explores the historical influence of the sugar industry on health narratives. Back in the 1960s, the sugar industry paid Harvard scientists to publish articles suggesting that sugar is not the problem, but rather saturated fat and cholesterol. These articles influenced the medical community's perception, leading to the creation of dietary guidelines that promoted carbohydrates and discouraged fat consumption. The industry spent a significant amount of money, shifting the culture and influencing the prevalence of ultra-processed foods.
Conflicts of Interest and Manipulation of Research
The episode discusses the conflicts of interest that arose from the sugar industry's funding of research. Two opinion leaders at Harvard, Frederick Stair and Haggstad, were paid by the Sugar Research Foundation without disclosing their financial ties. Their articles, published in high-impact journals, promoted the idea that sugar is benign and saturated fat and cholesterol are the primary dietary culprits. This manipulation of research and the subsequent influence it had on the medical community's perception of sugar parallels similar patterns observed in the present day, such as the promotion of plant-based diets by industry-funded scientists.
Recognition of Ultra Processed Foods' Impact
The podcast highlights the historical resistance to recognizing the health risks of ultra-processed foods. Despite warnings from experts dating back 80 years, the medical community initially dismissed these concerns. However, recent research has increasingly shown the detrimental effects of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods on cardiometabolic health. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding conflicts of interest and the potential for industry influence on health narratives.
Recent revelations have shed light on a disturbing chapter in the history of nutrition science: the collusion between the sugar industry and Harvard scientists to vilify fat and deflect attention from the true culprit—sugar. Here's the details...
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