The Whole-Body Microbiome by Brett Finlay & Jessica Finlay

Author:Brett Finlay & Jessica Finlay [Finlay, Brett & Finlay, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781615194810
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Experiment, The
Published: 2019-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

This text file has been provided by The Experiment for purposes of review only. It may only be used by authorized recipients and may not be reproduced, copied, circulated, published, or posted online.

love buGs

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THE BIG FAT SURPRISE

There is a re-think underway regarding the role of saturated fat and CVD. Dr.

Ancel Keys, a powerful scientific figure in the 1950s to 1970s, initially championed the concept that high saturated fat leads to high cholesterol and heart disease. He persuasively advocated for the American Heart Association and

the broader scientific community to stress the need to decrease fat intake

and make it public enemy number-one. We all very much “took it to heart”:

Dietary fat intake in the US dropped by 11 percent since the 1970s, and grocery stores still stock many low-fat and non-fat foods.

But we had to eat something, preferably something that tastes good! So

instead we increased our carbohydrate consumption—this includes adding

sugar—by at least 25 percent. We now know that added sugar and refined carbohydrates also increase risk for CVD. Saturated fat is just one piece of the puzzle, and butter, meat, and cheese in moderation are part of a healthy diet. If you want the sordid details, check out The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz.

Here are the American Heart Association’s current facts on fat:

• LOVE IT: Unsaturated fats lower rates of CVD. Healthy fats containing good HDL cholesterol, such as olive oil, beans and legumes, whole

grains, fatty fish, and nuts act like a vacuum for the arteries. They

remove bad LDL cholesterol and plaque buildup, and reduce risk of

heart disease.

• LIMIT IT: Saturated fats are no longer forbidden but should be consumed in moderation. They occur naturally in many foods, including

meat—e.g., fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin—and dairy prod-

ucts; e.g., cream, butter, cheese. It is recommended to aim for no

more than 5 to 6 percent of daily calories from saturated fats.

• LOSE IT: Artificial trans fat, hydrogenated oils, and tropical oils, such as palm kernel oil, increase risk of CVD and raise bad cholesterol

levels. Try to save commercially fried foods and baked goods for rare

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been provided by The Experiment for purposes of review only. It may only be used by authorized recipients and may not be reproduced, copied, circulated, published, or posted online.

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THE WHOLE-BODY MICROBIOME

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Heart Chemistry, or the Science Behind

CVD

MYTH: red meat

Now let’s get to the “meat of the matter”

alone causes heart

regarding microbes and CVD. We know that

disease.

meat eaters, especially red meat consumers,

have a higher CVD risk than vegetarians. In

FACT: red meat does

studies, germ-free—i.e., microbe-free—animals

not cause cvD by itself:

have a very low CVD risk, even if these ani-

it’s how our microbes

mals are fed diets that increase the risk of CVD

break down the red

in animals that aren’t germ-free; i.e., have a

meat and create harmful

normal microbiota. Why is this? Meat and egg

by-products that lead to

yolks are rich in two structurally related com-

heart disease.

pounds: L-carnitine and choline, and these

compounds make up about 2 percent of the

Western diet. Through a series of reactions, the gut microbes convert

these compounds into a molecule waste by-product called trimethyl

amine (TMA).

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