How Suppressed Science Led To Widespread Misunderstanding About Fat And The Root Cause Of Heart Disease

Mar 27, 2023

Nina Teicholz, a renowned science journalist and author of "The Big Fat Surprise," challenges conventional beliefs about dietary fat and heart disease. She discusses how long-standing misconceptions have been upheld by flawed studies and industry influence. Teicholz argues for a reevaluation of nutritional guidelines, emphasizing the role of insulin resistance and the health benefits of consuming saturated fats. The conversation reveals the need for transparency in nutritional science and critiques the damaging effects of sugar on public health.

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ANECDOTE

Low-Fat Diet Experience

Dr. Hyman followed low-fat dietary advice in his youth, experiencing constant hunger and depression.
He never questioned the advice, blaming himself for not losing weight.

INSIGHT

Origin of the Low-Fat Dogma

The origin of the low-fat dogma traces back to the 1950s, amid rising heart disease rates.
Physiologist Ancel Keys proposed the diet-heart hypothesis, blaming saturated fats and cholesterol.

INSIGHT

Keys's Diet-Heart Hypothesis

Ancel Keys's theory linked saturated fats and dietary cholesterol to heart disease.
This theory, despite limited evidence, gained traction due to Keys's influence and the public's fear of heart disease.

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This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and BiOptimizers.

For many of us, growing up we were told that eating foods high in fat is bad for you. Many people still believe that eating cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat, causes heart attacks. Yet recent studies show there is no association between saturated fat consumption and adverse health outcomes like coronary disease or heart attacks. We also don’t hear enough about insulin resistance as a main driver of cardiovascular disease.

In today’s episode, I talk with Nina Teicholz and Dr. Aseem Malhotra about the origins of the hypothesis that dietary fat raises cholesterol, subsequently increasing heart disease, and how it caught hold.

Nina Teicholz is a science journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller The Big Fat Surprise, which upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat—especially saturated fat—and spurred a new conversation about whether these fats in fact cause heart disease. Nina is also the founder of the Nutrition Coalition, a nonprofit working to ensure that government nutrition policy is transparent and evidence based—work for which she’s been asked to testify before the US Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Senate.

Dr. Aseem Malhotra is an NHS-trained consultant, cardiologist, and visiting professor of evidence-based medicine at the Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health in Salvador, Brazil. He is a founding member of Action on Sugar. In 2015, he became the youngest member to be appointed to the board of trustees of the UK health charity The King's Fund. He is a pioneer of the lifestyle medicine movement in the UK and in 2018 was ranked by software company Onalytica as the number one doctor in the world influencing obesity thinking.

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and BiOptimizers.

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Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:

Nina Teicholz

Dr. Aseem Malhotra