"Mistrust those in whom the urge to punish is strong." Friedrich Nietzche

"Any and all non-violent, non-coercive, non-larcenous, consensual adult behavior that does not physically harm other people or their property or directly and immediately endangers same, that does not disturb the peace or create a public nuisance, and that is done in private, especially on private property, is the inalienable right of all adults. In a truly free and liberty-loving society, ruled by a secular government, no laws should be passed to prohibit such behavior. Any laws now existing that are contrary to the above definition of inalienable rights are violations of the rights of adults and should be made null and void." D. M. Mitchell (from The Myth of Inalienable Rights, at: http://dowehaverights.blogspot.com/)

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

How Healthy Are Polyunsaturated Fats?

"Healthy subjects placed on high polyunsaturated diets for four-week periods have exhibited higher levels of free radical activity and blood clotting markers than those on high-saturated diets. In animal studies, polyunsaturated vegetable oils consistently promote cancer growth; an eight-year trial with real live humans that observed significantly higher cancer incidence in the polyunsaturated group suggests this phenomenon is not merely confined to lab rats.1 This same study, by the way, showed little difference in extent of atherosclerosis among autopsied subjects from the high-saturate and high-polyunsaturate diets. If anything, the aortas of those eating the polyunsaturated-enhanced diet tended to show more plaque build-up.

"1. Dayton S, et al. A controlled clinical trial of a diet high in unsaturated fat in preventing complications of atherosclerosis. Circulation, 1969; XL: II-1-63."

The above was taken from the end of an article by Chris Masterjohn, Saturated Fat Attack, at the Weston A. Price Foundation site: http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/saturated-fat-attack.html. It was written, as a comment, by Anthony Colpo, author of The Great Cholesterol Con, a book which exposes the fallacy of the cholesterol theory of heart disease. Mr. Colpo says he has no financial ties or responsibility to any food, drug, medical, or supplement businesses.

History shows that the incidence of cancer and heart disease was low 100 years ago when our grandparents and great-grandparents were eating a high saturated fat diet. Only with the promotion of polyunsaturated vegetable oils, especially hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated ones, which started in the 1940’s, did the epidemic of those two diseases begin. The processed foods industries, including highly processed vegetable oils, are multi-billion dollar per year concerns…and they are concerned with making money, not your health. Go to the above link to the Weston A. Price Foundation and look around. It could be good for you…very good.

1 comment:

Joe Jubinville said...

I'm a believer, and prefer butter.

One note of skepticism, however - heart disease and cancer are largely diseases of aging, and life spans today are a good 20- 30% higher than they were in my grandparents day. That being said, hydrogenated vegitable oils are certainly not the "healthy alternative" to animal fats as they were once touted. I think I read somewhere that they're only a molecule or two away from plastic! My brother lives in the country and claims that a dish of margarine left outdoors will go untouched by wild animals.

But what about olive oil? That's a vegetable oil isn't it?