Page 14 - Spring2018

Caustic Commentary

leading to burnout, vision problems and many other un- lest we conclude that olive oil is the fat most protective of
fortunate conditions. In the case of bodybuilder Meegan liver health, another group of researchers found that mice
Hefford, the unfortunate side effect was death. The mother given a diet of starch and monounsaturated fatty acids
of two was found unconscious in her apartment and died in developed fatty liver disease while mice fed starch and
the hospital two days later. She had been ramping up her saturated fat had no undesirable effects (CMGH September
gym routine in the weeks before her death, living off protein 2017;4(2)4:223–23). The conclusion for a healthy liver? Avoid
shakes and supplements. According to reports, Hefford had too much refined carbohydrate, especially fructose, but not
a rare condition called urea cycle disorder, which stops the healthy saturated fats.
body from breaking down protein, leading to fatal levels
of ammonia in the bloodstream and excessive fluid in the MORE DIET WARS
brain. But this could happen to anyone who is taxing their The latest salvo in the diet wars is an article by Jane Brody
protein-breakdown mechanisms. The final cause of death in the New York Times, “Good Fats, Bad Fats” (January
was ruled an “intake of bodybuilding supplements” (Fox 29, 2018). Brody, as you may know, has been tireless, no,
News, Aug 14, 2017). relentless—writing for the New York Times since 1976—in
pushing the mantra that saturated fats (including coconut
YOLKS OVER WHITES oil) are bad, bad, bad. In an attempt to stem the public re-
Often in the bodybuilding world, protein loading takes the alization that it’s all been a big fat lie, Brody reports on a
form of eating lots of egg whites and throwing away the twenty-six-page advisory released by the American Heart
yolks. But a fascinating study from the University of Illinois Association (AHA), prepared by a “team of experts” led
at Urbana-Champaign indicates that whole eggs are a better by Dr. Frank M. Sacks of Harvard University. The report
bet for muscle building. Subjects consumed eighteen grams of “helps explain why the decades-long campaign to curb
protein from whole eggs or egg whites after engaging in resis- cardiovascular disease by steering the American diet away
tance exercise. The post-workout muscle-building response in from animal fats has been less successful that it might have
those eating whole eggs was 40 percent greater than in those been and how it inadvertently promoted expanding waist-
consuming egg whites. So score one victory for whole foods. lines and an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes.” The reason: the
“This work is showing that consuming egg protein in its public did a very bad thing by replacing saturated fats with
natural matrix,” said lead researcher Nicholas Burd, “has a refined carbohydrates when they should have replaced those
much greater benefit than getting isolated protein from the calories with vegetables, spreads and polyunsaturated oils!
same source” (ScienceDaily, December 20, 2017). (Never mind that the AHA gives its seal of approval to high-
carb foods like Cheerios and orange juice.) Dr. Sacks’ team
SATURATED FATS AND THE LIVER summarized the results of four cherry-picked “core” trials
Saturated fats like butter, lard, coconut oil and tallow are conducted in the 1960s, which found that replacing saturated
blamed for just about everything these days, including fat with vegetable oil “rich in polyunsaturated fat,” primar-
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its precursor ily soybean oil free of trans fats “lowered coronary heart
nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which are occurring disease by 29 percent, similar to the benefit from taking a
at epidemic levels. Fructose is a more likely culprit since all statin to reduce cholesterol.” But as Nina Teicholz, author of
fructose has to be processed through the liver. Researchers The Big Fat Surprise, points out, those core studies do not
in Belgrade, Serbia fed rats diets high in fructose along show that reducing saturated fats (along with dietary choles-
with various types of fat. Fructose fed with trans fatty terol) will prevent heart attacks (LA Times, July 23, 2017).
acids resulted in NASH with fibrosis by inducing oxidative And data from several studies indicating that the diet-heart
stress and inflamation; whereas fructose in combination theory is just wrong were not published. Teicholz notes the
with saturated fats caused simple steatosis (fat buildup) in AHA’s “longstanding reliance on funding from interested
the liver (Eur J Nutr 2017 1492-1). Fructose fed with peanut industries, such as the vegetable-oil manufacturer Procter &
oil (rich in monounsaturated fatty acids) had no effects, but Gamble, maker of Crisco, and Bayer, owner of LibertyLink

12 Wise Traditions SPRING 2018