Research & Technical Articles Diet and Heart Disease: Not What You Think < continued from previous page In fact, the International Atherosclerosis Project, which analyzed 31,000 autopsies from l5 countries, found no correlation between animal fat intake and degree of atherosclerosis or serum cholesterol level. Michael DeBakey, the famous heart surgeon, surveyed 1,700 patients with atherosclerosis and found no relation between levels of serum cholesterol and degree of hardening of the arteries. Other U.S. studies — the Veterans Clinical Trial, the Minnesota State Hospital Trial, the Honolulu Heart Program, and the Puerto Rico Heart Health Study — found no significant relation between a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fats with CHD. Unfortunately, these studies do not receive front page coverage in American newspapers, and dissenting voices must content themselves with publication in obscure medical journals. One of these voices is the eminent researcher Dr. George Mann, who states categorically: "The diet-heart hypothesis has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, ant yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit, and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies, and even governmental agencies. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century." Michael Gurr, Ph.D., renowned expert on lipids and author of the authoritative textbook on lipid biochemistry, recently stated that "whatever causes coronary heart disease, it is not primarily a high intake of saturated fat." He criticized "...the degree of self delusion in research workers wedded to a particular hypothesis despite the contrary evidence!" So if it ain't saturated fats ant cholesterol, what causes heart disease? There are, in fact, a number of dissenting theories, most of which dovetail into a compelling list of dietary and lifestyle factors that are unique to civilized societies. Consider the following: In the 1940s and 1950s, researchers Yudkin and Lopez discovered a link between consumption of refined sugar and heart disease. Sugar consumption lowers the body's resistance to bacteria, viruses, and yeasts that may cause inflammation in both the heart and the arteries. Excess sugar leads to deficiencies in the entire B-vitamin complex, needed for healthy arteries. Ongoing research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that fructose may be even more dangerous than sugar. Fructose, mainly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), has become the sweetener of choice for soft drinks, condiments and many so-called health foods. Also in the 1960s, a researcher named Annand discovered a correlation between the consumption of heated milk protein and a tendency to thrombosis — the formation of blood clots — and noted that the rise in coronary heart disease began in the 1920s with laws requiring milk pasteurization. Researcher Kilmer McCulley has found a positive relationship between deficiencies in folic acid, B6 and Bl2, and severity of hardening or stiffness of the arteries, as well as the buildup of pathogenic plaque. B6 and B12 are found almost exclusively in animal products — the very foods that proponents of the lipid hypothesis advise us to avoid. B6 deficiency is also associated with hardening of the tendons leading to carpel tunnel syndrome. Deficiencies of this heat-sensitive vitamin are widespread in America, partly because B1 and B2 added to white flour interfere with its proper use, and partly because it is destroyed during milk pasteurization. (Although pasteurization may help prevent foodborne illness, the process destroys nutrients.) Although McCulley's research has gained widespread, albeit grudging, recognition in the scientific community, it continues to lack appropriate funding and public recognition. Vitamin C deficiency makes arterial walls more subject to inflammation and tearing. A diet rich in natural vitamin C complex helps maintain the integrity of both blood vessels and heart muscle. Vitamin C also plays a role in collagen synthesis, along with copper, through the enzyme lysyl oxidase. Deficiencies occur in diets that lack fresh fruits and vegetables. Heart disease has been correlated with mineral deficiencies. Coronary heart disease rates are lower in regions where drinking water is naturally rich in trace minerals, particularly magnesium, which acts as a natural anti-coagulant and aids potassium absorption, thereby preventing heartbeat irregularities. Mineral-rich water and soil also supply iodine, needed for a healthy thyroid gland. People with poor thyroid function are very prone to heart disease. Calcium also plays a role in protecting the heart and arteries. Potassium helps maintain proper blood pressure. Traditional meat broths are rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iodine. In America, these have largely been replaced by imitation broth products containing MSG and hydrolyzed protein. The most important change in the American diet during the years of CHD increase has been the gradual substitution of vegetable fats for those of animal origin. Hydrogenated fats — in the form of margarine and shortening — have replaced butter and lard, while the consumption of vegetable oils has increased more than 10-fold. Since as early as 1956, a number of researchers have found that consumption of trans-fatty acids in hydrogenated oils contributes to heart disease, including most recently Mensink and Katan in the Netherlands, and Walter Willett at Harvard University. > Heart Disease continued Home | Product Line | Endorsements | FAQs | Research | Order Products VITAL PRODUX™ 44 Mine Rd. Suite 2, PMB 209 Stafford, Virginia  22554  USA 540-286-2400 – FAX: 540-752-4765 E-mail: info@VitalProdux.com Copyright © 1996-2003, VTI, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Text, graphics, and HTML code are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission. Vital Produx™ is a trademark of VTI, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.