The next MD Doctor Watch introduces you to is Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, MD, Ph.D..
We open our introduction by presenting a quote that can be interpreted only one way; Cholesterol and saturated fat have nothing to do with heart disease. Dr. Ravnskov says:
“People who avoid all saturated fat and who have low cholesterol become just as atherosclerotic as people who gorge in animal food and whose cholesterol is high.”
Dr Ravnskov said it would take an entire book to explain all the
"inaccuracies, misinterpretations, exaggerations and misleading quotations” needed to support the lie that heart disease is caused by cholesterol and saturated fat.
In 1991 he published the first of many books that do just that. It’s called “The Cholesterol Myths”.
Since he wrote “The Cholesterol Myths”, he has published more than 70 papers further exposing cholesterol-fear for what it really is, a myth.
He is also a member of the International Science Oversight Board, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, and is the spokesman for THINCS, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics.
In an interview for Health Myths Publishing, Dr Ravnskov in 2005 was asked what causes heart disease. He said:
“Most researchers to-day in this field agree that inflammation of the arterial wall is the start. The crucial question is, what starts the inflammation? As cholesterol has been demonized for so many years we have not been able to clear the blackboard and rethink... all studies of dead people have failed to show an association between their intake of saturated fat, or their serum cholesterol, and the degree of atherosclerosis. People who avoid all saturated fat and who have low cholesterol become just as atherosclerotic as people who gorge in animal food and whose cholesterol is high.”
“Another misconception is that atherosclerosis is a disease. When arteries become inflamed the body immediately starts a repair process to strengthen the vascular wall. Smooth muscle cells proliferate, fibrosis follows, and later, if necessary for further strength, cholesterol and calcium are used for reinforcement. This is in particular important in the coronary arteries because due to the steady movements of the heart and the negative pressure at their outside they have to be stronger than for instance arteries running to the intestines or inside bony channels.
Inflammatory processes go on now and then already from childhood; it is a natural defence mechanism and atherosclerosis should therefore be considered as scars, remnants from a long life's combat with noxious chemicals or microorganisms....I think that the final attack is caused by microorganisms, but this is not the only answer.
Any factor that weakens our immune defense may facilitate the growth of microorganisms, also at the inside of our vessels. These factors may be environmental (toxic compounds) or nutritional. There is much evidence that microorganisms may play a role. I published a review about this issue a few years ago."
Thank you Dr. Ravnskov! Thank you for having the courage to take on those who create myths for money and power even though they cause misery and early death for hundreds of millions of people.
Gary Springer,
Author of They're Making You Fat and Sick
Founder of Perfect Health Institute
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The publication of my book ”The Cholesterol Myths” has been stopped by the publisher. However, I have published an updated and shorter version, "Fat and Cholesterol are GOOD for You!" which is available from amazon
ReplyDeleteA new book of mine entitled "Ignore The Awkward! How the Cholesterol Myths Are Kept Alive" has been published, both as a paper back and in a Kindle version. Swedish and Danish editions of that book are available also. My aim with this book has been to show how white has been turned into black by ignoring any con%icting observations; by twisting and exaggerating trivial $ndings; by citing studies with opposing results in a way to make them look supportive; and by ignoring or scorning the work of critical scientists. Those who have not read my previous books possibly may not quite understand the width of these misleading processes. I have therefore included some of the most obvious contradictions to the cholesterol hypothesis, shortened and simplifed.
Dear Dr. Ravnskov,
DeleteOur research over the past 40-plus years confirms the correctness of your position regarding cholesterol and saturated fat. Moving beyond theory, we have been successfully treating diverse, chronic inflammatory diseases by increasing the intake of quality saturated fat, lecithin and cholesterol, by eliminating omega-6 polyunsaturated oils and by eliminating oxidants while inhibiting the activity of specific enzymes such as phospholipase A2 and xanthine oxidase involved in the inflammatory process. Our work is summarized in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogenized_milk_and_atherosclerosis
I can be contacted at nsampsidis@hotmail.com
nsampsidis@treat-heart-disease.org
Regards,
Nicholas Sampsidis, Ph.D.
Thank you all of you. I do have a couple of concerns, however, which I'd be very grateful if you could address.
ReplyDelete1. The first is the case of Sri Lanka. The incidence of heart disease, etc. is high there and this has been linked to the drinking of coconut milk, which is high in cholesterol.
2. People come to my country (UK) from the West Indies, Africa and the Indian subcontinent and start eating our diet. The incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, etc seems to be high among them (My local pharmacist from India, whom I had got to know slightly during his student days and remained a friend, died suddenly from a heart attack at a young age). These people have for generations been eating one kind of diet and seem to come to grief when changing it. Isn't there a danger that we are assuming all people groups are the same when it comes to high fat, when perhaps they are not?
I'll dare an answer:
DeleteAd 1. Ask pretty much anyone invested in the traditional fat/cholesterol model and that's what they say. However, bear in mind how such studies are routinely carried out: they are epidemiological studies where a host of (suspected) variables are looked at to figure out if they correlate/vary with whatever disease you're looking into. Given the research by Uffe Ravnskov and many, many others it's now time to say it: yes, they may be having their coconut milk, but while it IS there it's not what's causing the diseases. Inflammation of the arteries is much more likely to be the cause.
A lot of this has grown out of cellular biology that look at the actual mechanism inside the body, not on crude epidemiological research.
Sugars cause a lot of havoc in the body, especially if the body absorbs the sugar/starch quickly - which is e.g. what happens if you mostly eat white bread based on refined, white flour.
Also, the now well-known imbalance between the essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3 contributes to make things even worse. Omega-6's are important as they allow the body to muster an attack on intruders - result is acute inflammation. However, when you consume 15-30 times the amount of omega-6 than omega-3 the body gets into a state of CHRONIC inflammation. Basically, what happens is that the body now constantly attacks healthy tissue, such as your blood vessels.
What happens is this. As omega-6 now dominates the cell membranes at a ratio of 15-30:1 (omega-6 first: omega-3 last) the cytokines released promote inflammation so much that the body can't turn it off even while you're healthy (while the 15 omega-6's party on, you only have 1 omega-3 to clean up the mess). So now white blood cells are attacking healthy tissue, grinding slowly away at your blood vessels and god knows what else inside you. Heck, even depression has been linked to inflammation, but then again we have brain cells as well as blood and blood vessel cells.
Ad 2: Exactly. And what do they eat? Lots of pre-processed foods loaded with copious amounts of omega-6 that completely eclipses the anti-inflammatory actions of the few, measly omega-3's they're getting.
Also, migrants now have access to both wealth and all the refined foods, such as wheat bereft of all fiber content which is quickly absorbed. That, and obviously stuff like high-fructose corn sirup drinks such as cola. If you really want the whole "sugar/starch story" go look for Gary Taubes who've written at length about it.
There's good stuff on inflammation and omega-3 and 6 in Dr. Paul Clayton's http://www.inflamm-ageing.com/
Forgot one thing that kinda ought to be added in. Omega-3 is very important because we're getting too little of it (and too much omega-6 due to all the "bad" plant oils such as soy, corn, sunflower). However, to make the killer combo you have to add in the right polyphenols (plant-based anti-oxidants). Polyphenols are found in vegetables, olives, coffe and such. A specially selected olive oil can have LOTS of polyphenols. Those anti-oxidants are fat soluble and will not only protect any fish oil you take, but also protect the cells - and the fats they're made from - from oxidizing. I guess that's why the they tell us to eat our veggies ;)
DeleteSo basically:
1. Cut down on the sugars and starches, especially the simple and quickly absorbed ones.
2. Get more omega-3 (EPA+DHA). Supplements are often the economic route to take.
3. Make sure you get your polyphenols.