What actually causes Heart Disease

G'day mate! So, you've heard for yonks now, since around the 60s, that eating animal fats and cholesterol is like a one-way ticket to the big heart attack, right?

Hang on to your thongs, 'cause I reckon you've been told a little porky. And not the good kind of porky that goes on the barbie. The science mob have known for decades that saturated fat and cholesterol ain't the baddies we thought they were.

Crikey! Shocked? No dramas, mate. It's pretty easy to believe when every man and his dog's been spruiking the anti-fat, anti-meat thing for ages.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? What’s the real drongo causing heart disease?

Well, pull up a pew, grab a cold one, and let's deep dive into the tale of how everyone got it so bloody wrong. We’ll also get stuck into what the real villains are, like those dodgy "vegetable" oils and munching on carbs like there's no tomorrow.

So, when did we start giving fat and cholesterol the stink-eye?

T

he blame game started in the 60s with this bloke, Ansel Keys. Now, Keys had a loud voice in the science world. He dropped this bombshell, cherry-picking his data, right when heart disease was booming in the US. He basically said, "Oi, if you eat animal fat, your cholesterol shoots up, and you’re cactus." And guess his grand plan? Swapping animal fats for veggie oil. Let’s just say, it was a bigger flop than a wallaby in a canoe.

Old mate Keys even got his mug on Time magazine's cover. But here’s the snag: He left out heaps of crucial data. If he'd thrown in the data from all 22 countries he studied, it would've been a different story. No link between saturated fat and heart disease. Nada. Zip. Zero.

Plus, his study was a bit sus, basing it on folks remembering what they scoffed down over time. And he didn’t even consider the diets of traditional tribes who were downing saturated fats and still living the dream, without heart issues.

And if we skip over to the modern day European mob, the data paints a very different picture. The more saturated fat they munch on, the less heart disease they get.

But wait, there's more! There's been some sneaky business going on too. Nina Tiecholz, a top journo, found that Proctor & Gamble (the fellas behind Crisco) were tossing a few coins to the American Heart Association. So suddenly, cutting animal fats and gobbling up veggie oils was the go-to advice. And the outcome? Well, let's just say, it went down like a lead balloon.

Now, let's dive into what the real deal science says about fat and heart disease.

You're gonna need another beer for this. Brace yourself: there's no evidence linking saturated fat with heart disease. That's right! A stack of top-notch studies confirm it.

Still on the fence? Have another look at this 2020 study. They straight-up said, "Nah, meat isn't the culprit."

There's another one from 2015, another from 2014, and a heap more, all singing the same tune: saturated fats aren’t the enemy.

Alright, now, what about cholesterol?

Look, our bods make most of our cholesterol. And foods chock-a-block with dietary cholesterol, like eggs, aren't the villains. In fact, eggs are champions for your HDL ("good") cholesterol. Some even reckon they’re the bee's knees for breakfast!

So, you’re probs thinking, what the flamin’ heck does cause heart disease?

Well, the latest and greatest science points the finger at the stuff we've been told to eat instead of fats - those high-carb grains and dodgy vegetable oils.

Recent studies are now shouting from the rooftops that it's inflammation from carbs and PUFAs that's the real heartbreaker. Those "vegetable" oils? They're dodgier than a kangaroo in a top hat. There's a stack of studies, from 2016, 2002, and even as far back as 1962, proving these oils are no good.

Besides these, smoking and stress are still big no-nos. I mean, we didn’t need a brain box to tell us that smoking’s bad news. And stress? Well, with today's hectic world, it's like chucking petrol on a fire.

Bottom line? Despite what we've been told since the Beatles were big, saturated fats and cholesterol aren’t the bad guys. In fact, a good steak on the barbie is more your friend than foe. The real villains? Those "vegetable" oils and too many carbs.

So, next time you're throwing a shrimp on the barbie, feel free to slap on a nice, fatty steak too. And tell heart disease to bugger off! Cheers!