Golf courses and a low fat diet
Okay doc, is a low fat diet good for your heart?
On September 1955, on the 8th hole of the Cherry Hills golf course the former 4 pack a day smoker and US president Dwight D. Eisenhower began complaining of “indigestion.” His lunch time hamburger with raw onions was felt to be the culprit by the president as well as his personal physician.
That’s an odd way to answer my question.
Just wait. For breakfast that morning he’d had sausage, bacon, mush, and hotcakes. For dinner that night, in spite of ongoing “indigestion,” he ate roast lamb. Twenty four hours later the nation was informed that the president was in an oxygen tent at the Fitzsimons Army Hospital after suffering a heart attack.
What was he told to do to prevent another heart attack?
Besides being told to keep his weight at 175 pounds, and take coumadin (warfarin), Eisenhower was prescribed a low fat diet. Being a cantankerous 5 star general, and the leader of the most powerful country in the world, Eisenhower didn’t take orders well. Once when seeking medical attention for severe abdominal pain, he confessed to eating pig knuckles and sauerkraut. When reprimanded by his doctor, he replied “Cause I like it, darn it!”
What does this all have to do with a low fat diet?
His heart attack was one factor in the growing public and scientific interest of diet’s role in heart attacks. The 1960’s contained two influential studies for eating a low fat diet. The first study observed that populations eating higher amounts of saturated fat had more heart attacks. The second study observed that the higher the blood cholesterol level the higher the heart attack risk.
Sounds like eating fat may have been the culprit.
Exactly what the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs thought too and recommended in 1977 that Americans reduce total fat to 30% of calories with saturated fat at 10% of calories. Carbs were recommended as the foundation of our diet:
Did all scientists agree with this recommendation?
No, the American Medical Association (AMA) said “…the benefits from such universal dietary goals are NOT CONCLUSIVE…[with] potential harmful effects.”
The AMA was right about unknown effects because in 1977 there were only 6 scientific studies done to PROVE if eating fat caused heart attacks. These studies involved less than 3,000 people. These studies showed that a low fat diet did NOT prevent heart attacks or death.
Did people follow the recommendations?
Yes. The fat in the American diet decreased from 42% in the 1970s to 34% today. Food manufacturers were also asked to create low fat products. They responded with skim milk and with head scratchers like low fat Oreos and hot dogs.
So did studies show that a low fat diet worked?
As late as 2016 only 10 studies had been done to PROVE if low fat eating prevented heart disease. Together, they showed that eating a lower fat diet had NO effect on preventing heart attacks, even though cholesterol was reduced in these studies by 14%. One study even showed that women who ate low fat increased their risk of stroke. It was also observed in this same group of women, that a low fat diet did not lower blood pressure.
So what are the current government guidelines for eating fat?
Recommendations now only suggest lowering saturated fat intake to 10% of calories.
Why should I believe the government about saturated fat when they were wrong about total fat?
A recent review of many studies observed that reducing saturated fat leads to a very SMALL reduction in heart attacks. Interestingly, one particular study showed that replacing saturated fat specifically with good carbs (whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables) reduced heart attacks.
What are the good carbs I should be eating?
The pendulum of popular opinion has unfortunately swung too far in that all “carbs” are bad. The bottom line is that some carbs are good at preventing heart attacks such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and high fiber foods. In fact good carbs have been shown to make one feel full after eating, reduce inflammation, and prevent diabetes.
Are there bad carbs?
Carbs that increase your chances of a heart attack are refined grains (i.e. white bread/white rice), as well as sugar sweetened drinks like fruit juices, sodas, sweet teas, and some smoothies. In fact for every extra daily serving of sugary drinks your risk of a heart attack increases by 22%.
Summarize it for me doc.
The low fat diet appropriately died on its 39th birthday in 2015. Saturated fats from animals slightly increase your risk of a heart attack. Eat good carbs found in whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Avoid white flour/white rice, sugar, candy, cakes, cookies, fruit juices, smoothies, sweet teas, and sodas.
And if you ever feel “indigestion” on the 8th hole of the golf course, go to the emergency room.
