These pieces are de rigeur if one wishes to begin to understand the complexities and inadequacy of the current level of science on diet and health.
First is his "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?":
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?pagewanted=print
Second, the "The Soft Science of Dietary Fat":
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/taubes.html
The fat/carbohydrate debate continues, with supposed experts staking out a wide variety of opposing positions, including:
ReplyDelete1. Fat is bad. Carbohydrates are good.
2. Saturated fat is bad. Mono-unsaturated fat is good.
3, Fat is good. Carbohydrates are bad.
4. It's very complicated, and not as simple as any of the above.
While experts argue the evidence and the theories, people have to make real food decisions every day. After a lot of reading, thought, and self-experimentation, I'm leaning toward a largely vegetarian low-carbohydrate diet, with lots of mono-unsaturated fats from avocados, pecans, walnuts, ground flaxseed, and extra virgin olive oil. That seems to work for me.
Those articles by Taubes are important but nothing is as important as his book "Good Calories, Bad Calories." sss
ReplyDeleteJim, Anon, thanks for weighing in.
ReplyDeleteI concur with you, Anon, on the significance of "Good Calories, Bad Calories." I'm in the middle of detailed, notetaking read number 2 and bought a copy for my Kindle!
Jim, the significance of Taubes' work is the rigor he brings to what has been a collection of fairly shoddy scientific work. His hypothesis remains to be proved by good scientific testing, as he states in the book. If you found something that serves you well, I'm glad for you. What works for me is nearly the opposite - I eat fat of any kind without concern, meat for all protein, and fruit/veggies/nuts to keep it interesting. I have not found a single noteworthy study that would give me pause in my fat consumption. My lipid profiles are very strong, also - low triglicerides, good fasting sugars, high HDL and LDL at 130 - not low but not bad either. Given that and good blood pressure, the best evidence that medicine can give us says I'm healthy as can be.