It's the PUFA that is killing us. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are toxic. They convert to prostaglandins (not good) when they break down. They cause high oxidative stress. They inflame the circulatory system. They cause LDL to become oxidized. They are carcinogenic.
People focus on the partially hydrogenated fats as the culprit and ignore all the liquid toxic PUFA. The American Heart Association is still recommending the toxic PUFA as being "heart healthy". They are focusing on their industry's bottom line, not people's health.
Have you ever noticed the drips that happen on a bottle of liquid cooking oil? They are sticky because they are oxidized. They oxidize inside of you too, very quickly, because you are 98.6 degrees warm and full of oxygen.
Regarding cholesterol: Cholesterol is a protective substance. The LDL coursing through your veins is delivering cholesterol throughout the body where it is needed. The brain is made mostly of cholesterol. Your body's hormones are made from cholesterol. The problem is not the amount of LDL you have; the problem is its oxidation status. There's a test for that: https://www.labcorp.com/tests/123023/oxidized-low-density-lipoprotein-oxldl .
LDL delivers cholesterol to where it is needed. HDL picks up the old cholesterol and takes it back to the liver to be recycled. The LDL isn't "bad" and the HDL isn't "good". They are both required for natural body functions.
The Medical Industrial Complex has been hard at it for a very long time spreading hokum to unsuspecting people who swallow it hook, line, and sinker. Sick people are good for business.
Kresser did a marathon podcast on Rogan with another guy (can't recall his name) debating vegan/vegetarian vs omnivorous diet... that was also a few years ago.
I'd guess that those on a SADiet will improve their health with a vegan diet (as anything is better than SAD) but I think animal protein/fat is essential to an optimal diet, of course taking into consideration that there are many different factors involved: age, sex, genetics, stress, ancestry, physical activity etc. Great post, wish there were more docs like you out there.
I’ve been thinking about this post all day. I also follow Mercola & read from him 1st how bad seed oils are. My oldest has a nut allergy so my kids eat sunbutter & I’m wondering if that’s as bad as the oils or is it different bc of the protein, etc?
Also, curious on your thoughts on Paleo. I’ve done a couple rounds of Whole 30 in the past & it truly works for sugar addiction. I had entire pregnancy without eating any junk & the only sugars came from whole fruits.
I’m not a person who can eat a very limited diet like carnivore, even though I fully believe it to be helpful. I only lasted on AIP for 2 weeks bc cutting out nightshades made me so sad- I love tomatoes & peppers & can eat salads all day. I have celiac & Hashimotos which my last pregnancy turned to hypothyroid now as well, so I eat a gluten, dairy, soy, & avoid my sons allergic nuts diet. I take T3 & T4 meds for my thyroid now; what a battle it is to get T3 meds. Endos are useless! I can’t handle being overweight mentally & can’t stand how it feels physically. I’ll do whatever to keep it under control although I know it’s not always the healthiest. My core food beliefs fall under a traditional food diet & I feel that paleo meets that with the need to be gluten free. I’ve cooked with animal fats for years & do use olive, coconut, & avocado oils. My bloodwork is amazing & much better than my “good” bloodwork from when I was veg/pescatarian for 16 years. I do think genetics play a role in the cholesterol bc my dad also has good bloodwork & still follows the outdated info of eating low fat & lean which has lots of processed carbs. My mom on the other hand eats terrible & has the poor bloodwork to back that up.
Predisone and Gabapentin are two of the worst weight-gaining meds. Predisone is also not to be taken by Diabetics or Glaucoma patients because it raises Eye pressure and BS, also avoid Steroids, and Cortisones. Gabapentin for Pain as a long-term Pain reliever has a ton of side effects and fails as a Pain reliever and is addictive. Did your doctor tell you those facts? It's part of their job to be sure you are informed. https://www.drugs.com/sfx/gabapentin-side-effects.html
The recent game has been patenting expensive blockbusters that are nearly carbon copies of older, expired drugs. Lexapro was developed out of Celexa, Nexium from Prilosec, and Lyrica out of Neurontin. Claritin is nothing but a fantastically costly, massively marketed version of Chlor-Trimeton, the older antihistamine which now costs pennies a dose. The newer medication has the same problems with sleepiness when it is given at high enough doses to be effective; those taking Claritin often need twice the recommended dose.
Here are the Lyrica and Neurontin stories. The latter is used off-label for a startling assortment of ailments ranging from nerve pain to restless legs to bipolar disorder and anxiety. However, it is FDA approved only for pain after shingles and as a secondary drug to control some types of seizures. The original study showed less than a one-point pain improvement on a ten-point scale, with the side effects of sleepiness and dizziness. Its other problems include weight gain, confusion, aggressive behavior, and occasionally suicide. Pfizer slipped it through the FDA, anyway.
Neurontin is prescribed for pain, but few patients benefit. Pfizer funded studies of many novel treatments f0r this drug, then illegally promoted them, resulting in settlement after settlement. In 2004, Pfizer paid $430 million for charges of fraudulent advertising of Neurontin for unapproved uses, and in 2010 they lost a $142 million jury verdict for fraud, racketeering, and off-label promotion. In another settlement, they agreed to pay $325 million for allegedly defrauding insurers and promoting the medication for unapproved uses. No admissions were made, and the drug is still hugely profitable.
Lyrica is a closely related medication, developed to take Neurontin’s place after its patent expired. The story is the same. Lyrica is used promiscuously for over fifty off-label indications, even though it has significant toxicity and is FDA approved for only a few. It was on-patent through 2018, and a prescription costs about $350/month. Its sales were $4.6 billion in 2018, Pfizer’s second most profitable drug.
This is a great article and thanks for doing that for us. A little while ago you linked to me a fascinating post from Mikhaila Peterson about healing her autoimmune disease with a carnivore diet. I’ve filed that in my brain. So interesting.
I think veganism has its issues. As someone else mentioned, it does seem a lot like a religion since often they become quite angry/arrogant at anyone who might disagree with their doctrine. I used to see this in blogs when I tried the raw vegan diet for a short time. However, if the diet failed them, they often had to keep that quiet, since their livelihood depended on it. A few did admit it failed them and they had to introduce animal products to sustain health.
Speaking to the arrogance part, I remember one episode on Jeopardy that noted one of the participants was a vegan. When Alex Trebec was doing the usual introductions, this vegan fellow had the audacity to correct Alex’s pronunciation of vegan - “I prefer vee-gan.” Alex, ever the gentleman, just smiled.
I used to read Scott and Helen Nearing books years back. They were very vocal vegans/vegetarians yet it was rumoured that, behind the scenes, they got regular B-12 injections. Seems rather hypocritical. If something is that good one should not have to cross to the other side in order to shore up their health.
There are lots of good articles opposing veganism at “the healthy home economist.com“ (no spaces). She does a good job at debunking the Netflix documentary “What the Health.”Veganism is apparently quite new - like the covid jabs - so believing it is safe and effective is an erroneous concept. It will take more time for the evidence to stack up. I guess it can be a good cleanser, initially, and make you feel better for a while. Apparently, there are no people groups that were vegans that survived and multiplied through the ages. Something to do with reproduction.
As for the self-righteousness planet stuff, you still kill lots of animals/bugs as vegans, so, thinking you are not shedding blood is not a viable reason. Ag does a great deal of damage whereas those even-toed ungulates, if raised properly on rotational pastures, contribute immensely to the populations of other critters, birds, bees, and healthy ecosystems. Good podcast here on that - Busting Beef Myths
Thank you as always for your fascinating & educational insights with your posts.
After watching Sasha's video regarding the scamdemic frauds. And how long this sort on evil wickedness has been going on, I now question everything.
Consider this? The whole interference in the modern food chain, from chemicals used in growing, then in food production. Highly likely another sinister & evil link to the megapharmas? To increase the number of ill people, to keep their conveyor belt of wretched meds increasing, as people become increasingly unhealthy & frail.
Yep. I’m not falling for it. Sad though to see even my local Walmart filling their freezer sections with fake chicken nuggets, etc., and that people are buying it...
Excellent article. I was never overweight, but I was having chronic health problems like fatigue, IBS type symptoms, and other problems and so I started going to doctors to find out what was wrong with me. They just kept trying to put me on medication, which I refused, and giving me tests and surgeries to try to solve my issues. I decided to try naturopathic doctors next. They also were not very helpful and it was getting really expensive and exhausting. I finally decided to give up on the medical system and figure it out on my own. Turns out, I was making myself ill from my diet and lifestyle choices! Who knew?
I was able to address my health problems and I've tried to share my knowledge with others. I ended up deciding that focusing on healing the microbiome was the best strategy and it's worked very well for me. There are benefits from focusing on the microbiome that help to optimize health and there's actually a lot of information about the many benefits of healthy microbes that reside in and on the body. My favorite book is The Good Gut by the Sonnenburgs. I also love the book, The Hidden Half of Nature; The Microbial Roots of Life and Health. There are many others.
People will ask me to put my recommendations in a sentence or two and while it really is more complicated than this, here is a summary of what I have implemented to improve my health. I have cut out most refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, refined seed oils and processed meat. I also try to avoid food additives such as nitrates, nitrites, artificial and natural flavors, emulsifiers, msg, preservatives etc. I try to increase my intake of veggies to be 4 - 6 servings a day, fruit to 2 to 3 servings a day, legumes (soaked before cooing) 2-3 servings a day, whole grains (soaked or fermented as much as possible) and fermented dairy and natural meats, nuts, seeds etc. All of these foods are best when organic and high quality. Growing a garden is going to be the most nutritious but even store bought organic fruits and vegetables can be very nutritious too. Locally grown meat and dairy that uses traditional methods is optimal but a person can eat well on whatever highest quality natural foods one can afford. I only buy a certain brand of extra virgin olive oil that is authentic because most of it on the market is cut with seed oils. Research is necessary before choosing EVOO. I avoid all other refined seed oils because they cause inflammation.
Anyway, I feel like most foods are nutritious for us if we eat a wide variety, make our diet high fiber (gut microbes love fiber) and keep things prepared in the healthiest way possible. Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir is the best way to consume probiotics there is! These go a long way for our health.
I might be wrong but understanding the decline in diverse microbes residing in the human gut after industrialization (refined foods, medications like antibiotics, cesarian births and formula feeding etc) helps to put the puzzle pieces together of why so many of us are suffering from chronic diseases. Trying to address that particular angle of health is what I decided to go for. There are probably a lot of good answers. Anything but the American Standard Diet!
Thanks for such a great article!!
It takes a long time to adopt some of these habits but it's worth it!
If you haven ever looked into the microbiome-obesity connection, you might find it fascinating. People who are obese often have a similar gut profile. There’s a bacteria that often dominates the gut of obese people but I can’t remember the name of it at the moment. I’m sure there are multiple factors to various chronic diseases but I found the gut connection really interesting and compelling!
Thanks for a brilliant summary. Why is dairy such a divisive issue? I personally love it but too much and certain type can make me feel sick. But is there any link with dairy and auto-immune / cancers?!
I don't think so. The trad view is that increased LDL such as occurs slightly w keto/carnivore diet increased inflammation and disease like heart disease, but I don't think this is borne out. It may be most related to seed oils, see next post. I don't pretend to have the answers
I discovered what was driving my overeating-processed food addiction! I know it sounds strange but once I got the right kind of help (not a diet-but recovery) I have been able to stay off sugar!! Even over the holidays! Dr. Joan Ifland wrote the textbook on the subject! Check her out on YouTube! Or join the Food Addiction Education Facebook page! I have found so much freedom!
It's the PUFA that is killing us. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are toxic. They convert to prostaglandins (not good) when they break down. They cause high oxidative stress. They inflame the circulatory system. They cause LDL to become oxidized. They are carcinogenic.
People focus on the partially hydrogenated fats as the culprit and ignore all the liquid toxic PUFA. The American Heart Association is still recommending the toxic PUFA as being "heart healthy". They are focusing on their industry's bottom line, not people's health.
Have you ever noticed the drips that happen on a bottle of liquid cooking oil? They are sticky because they are oxidized. They oxidize inside of you too, very quickly, because you are 98.6 degrees warm and full of oxygen.
suggested reading: https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fats-functions-malfunctions.shtml
also: https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturatedfats.shtml
Regarding cholesterol: Cholesterol is a protective substance. The LDL coursing through your veins is delivering cholesterol throughout the body where it is needed. The brain is made mostly of cholesterol. Your body's hormones are made from cholesterol. The problem is not the amount of LDL you have; the problem is its oxidation status. There's a test for that: https://www.labcorp.com/tests/123023/oxidized-low-density-lipoprotein-oxldl .
LDL delivers cholesterol to where it is needed. HDL picks up the old cholesterol and takes it back to the liver to be recycled. The LDL isn't "bad" and the HDL isn't "good". They are both required for natural body functions.
The Medical Industrial Complex has been hard at it for a very long time spreading hokum to unsuspecting people who swallow it hook, line, and sinker. Sick people are good for business.
suggested reading:
https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/cholesterol-longevity.shtml
also:
Biochemistry, Cholesterol: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513326/
also:
Low Density Lipoprotein Oxidation and Its Pathobiological Significance: https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(19)65706-6/fulltext
Saturated fat is good for you
https://podcastnotes.org/joe-rogan-experience/chris-kresser-joe-rogan-game-changers-vegan-diet/
Kresser did a marathon podcast on Rogan with another guy (can't recall his name) debating vegan/vegetarian vs omnivorous diet... that was also a few years ago.
I'd guess that those on a SADiet will improve their health with a vegan diet (as anything is better than SAD) but I think animal protein/fat is essential to an optimal diet, of course taking into consideration that there are many different factors involved: age, sex, genetics, stress, ancestry, physical activity etc. Great post, wish there were more docs like you out there.
I’ve been thinking about this post all day. I also follow Mercola & read from him 1st how bad seed oils are. My oldest has a nut allergy so my kids eat sunbutter & I’m wondering if that’s as bad as the oils or is it different bc of the protein, etc?
Also, curious on your thoughts on Paleo. I’ve done a couple rounds of Whole 30 in the past & it truly works for sugar addiction. I had entire pregnancy without eating any junk & the only sugars came from whole fruits.
I’m not a person who can eat a very limited diet like carnivore, even though I fully believe it to be helpful. I only lasted on AIP for 2 weeks bc cutting out nightshades made me so sad- I love tomatoes & peppers & can eat salads all day. I have celiac & Hashimotos which my last pregnancy turned to hypothyroid now as well, so I eat a gluten, dairy, soy, & avoid my sons allergic nuts diet. I take T3 & T4 meds for my thyroid now; what a battle it is to get T3 meds. Endos are useless! I can’t handle being overweight mentally & can’t stand how it feels physically. I’ll do whatever to keep it under control although I know it’s not always the healthiest. My core food beliefs fall under a traditional food diet & I feel that paleo meets that with the need to be gluten free. I’ve cooked with animal fats for years & do use olive, coconut, & avocado oils. My bloodwork is amazing & much better than my “good” bloodwork from when I was veg/pescatarian for 16 years. I do think genetics play a role in the cholesterol bc my dad also has good bloodwork & still follows the outdated info of eating low fat & lean which has lots of processed carbs. My mom on the other hand eats terrible & has the poor bloodwork to back that up.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3tZ9GKNT8qeYKA2g0hjG0O?si=RCbtq1inQ_6uhlwAavVPCA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A57R7dOcs60jUfOnuNG0J1R
Send your formula to my email GF
Predisone and Gabapentin are two of the worst weight-gaining meds. Predisone is also not to be taken by Diabetics or Glaucoma patients because it raises Eye pressure and BS, also avoid Steroids, and Cortisones. Gabapentin for Pain as a long-term Pain reliever has a ton of side effects and fails as a Pain reliever and is addictive. Did your doctor tell you those facts? It's part of their job to be sure you are informed. https://www.drugs.com/sfx/gabapentin-side-effects.html
That's from Butchered by Healthcare
The recent game has been patenting expensive blockbusters that are nearly carbon copies of older, expired drugs. Lexapro was developed out of Celexa, Nexium from Prilosec, and Lyrica out of Neurontin. Claritin is nothing but a fantastically costly, massively marketed version of Chlor-Trimeton, the older antihistamine which now costs pennies a dose. The newer medication has the same problems with sleepiness when it is given at high enough doses to be effective; those taking Claritin often need twice the recommended dose.
Here are the Lyrica and Neurontin stories. The latter is used off-label for a startling assortment of ailments ranging from nerve pain to restless legs to bipolar disorder and anxiety. However, it is FDA approved only for pain after shingles and as a secondary drug to control some types of seizures. The original study showed less than a one-point pain improvement on a ten-point scale, with the side effects of sleepiness and dizziness. Its other problems include weight gain, confusion, aggressive behavior, and occasionally suicide. Pfizer slipped it through the FDA, anyway.
Neurontin is prescribed for pain, but few patients benefit. Pfizer funded studies of many novel treatments f0r this drug, then illegally promoted them, resulting in settlement after settlement. In 2004, Pfizer paid $430 million for charges of fraudulent advertising of Neurontin for unapproved uses, and in 2010 they lost a $142 million jury verdict for fraud, racketeering, and off-label promotion. In another settlement, they agreed to pay $325 million for allegedly defrauding insurers and promoting the medication for unapproved uses. No admissions were made, and the drug is still hugely profitable.
Lyrica is a closely related medication, developed to take Neurontin’s place after its patent expired. The story is the same. Lyrica is used promiscuously for over fifty off-label indications, even though it has significant toxicity and is FDA approved for only a few. It was on-patent through 2018, and a prescription costs about $350/month. Its sales were $4.6 billion in 2018, Pfizer’s second most profitable drug.
I've read about this but haven't heard much about practical applications
Dr. Yoho,
This is a great article and thanks for doing that for us. A little while ago you linked to me a fascinating post from Mikhaila Peterson about healing her autoimmune disease with a carnivore diet. I’ve filed that in my brain. So interesting.
I think veganism has its issues. As someone else mentioned, it does seem a lot like a religion since often they become quite angry/arrogant at anyone who might disagree with their doctrine. I used to see this in blogs when I tried the raw vegan diet for a short time. However, if the diet failed them, they often had to keep that quiet, since their livelihood depended on it. A few did admit it failed them and they had to introduce animal products to sustain health.
Speaking to the arrogance part, I remember one episode on Jeopardy that noted one of the participants was a vegan. When Alex Trebec was doing the usual introductions, this vegan fellow had the audacity to correct Alex’s pronunciation of vegan - “I prefer vee-gan.” Alex, ever the gentleman, just smiled.
I used to read Scott and Helen Nearing books years back. They were very vocal vegans/vegetarians yet it was rumoured that, behind the scenes, they got regular B-12 injections. Seems rather hypocritical. If something is that good one should not have to cross to the other side in order to shore up their health.
There are lots of good articles opposing veganism at “the healthy home economist.com“ (no spaces). She does a good job at debunking the Netflix documentary “What the Health.”Veganism is apparently quite new - like the covid jabs - so believing it is safe and effective is an erroneous concept. It will take more time for the evidence to stack up. I guess it can be a good cleanser, initially, and make you feel better for a while. Apparently, there are no people groups that were vegans that survived and multiplied through the ages. Something to do with reproduction.
Good critique of “What the Health” here:
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-the-health/
As for the self-righteousness planet stuff, you still kill lots of animals/bugs as vegans, so, thinking you are not shedding blood is not a viable reason. Ag does a great deal of damage whereas those even-toed ungulates, if raised properly on rotational pastures, contribute immensely to the populations of other critters, birds, bees, and healthy ecosystems. Good podcast here on that - Busting Beef Myths
https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-10-episode-10-busting-beef-myths-with-diana-rodgers
Thank you as always for your fascinating & educational insights with your posts.
After watching Sasha's video regarding the scamdemic frauds. And how long this sort on evil wickedness has been going on, I now question everything.
Consider this? The whole interference in the modern food chain, from chemicals used in growing, then in food production. Highly likely another sinister & evil link to the megapharmas? To increase the number of ill people, to keep their conveyor belt of wretched meds increasing, as people become increasingly unhealthy & frail.
FDA regulated food and drugs both and equally corrupt. See Born With a Junk Food Deficiency book by my friend Martha Rosenberg.
And now they want to force us all into eating bugs (with poisonous chiten) and lab-grown fake meat grown from tissue cultures....
don't get sucked into gaslighting narratives
Yep. I’m not falling for it. Sad though to see even my local Walmart filling their freezer sections with fake chicken nuggets, etc., and that people are buying it...
gaslighting
"When baked into cookies and sweets, they can sit for years in colorful packages on store shelves without getting rancid."
In other words, they're lifeless. Not even microbes will/can eat the stuff. What could possibly be a problem with that?
Not all that is called "food" is food. Eat what is not food, and there are apt to be consequences.
Love that I can read it on my Kindle...just downloaded. Thank you.
Excellent article. I was never overweight, but I was having chronic health problems like fatigue, IBS type symptoms, and other problems and so I started going to doctors to find out what was wrong with me. They just kept trying to put me on medication, which I refused, and giving me tests and surgeries to try to solve my issues. I decided to try naturopathic doctors next. They also were not very helpful and it was getting really expensive and exhausting. I finally decided to give up on the medical system and figure it out on my own. Turns out, I was making myself ill from my diet and lifestyle choices! Who knew?
I was able to address my health problems and I've tried to share my knowledge with others. I ended up deciding that focusing on healing the microbiome was the best strategy and it's worked very well for me. There are benefits from focusing on the microbiome that help to optimize health and there's actually a lot of information about the many benefits of healthy microbes that reside in and on the body. My favorite book is The Good Gut by the Sonnenburgs. I also love the book, The Hidden Half of Nature; The Microbial Roots of Life and Health. There are many others.
People will ask me to put my recommendations in a sentence or two and while it really is more complicated than this, here is a summary of what I have implemented to improve my health. I have cut out most refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, refined seed oils and processed meat. I also try to avoid food additives such as nitrates, nitrites, artificial and natural flavors, emulsifiers, msg, preservatives etc. I try to increase my intake of veggies to be 4 - 6 servings a day, fruit to 2 to 3 servings a day, legumes (soaked before cooing) 2-3 servings a day, whole grains (soaked or fermented as much as possible) and fermented dairy and natural meats, nuts, seeds etc. All of these foods are best when organic and high quality. Growing a garden is going to be the most nutritious but even store bought organic fruits and vegetables can be very nutritious too. Locally grown meat and dairy that uses traditional methods is optimal but a person can eat well on whatever highest quality natural foods one can afford. I only buy a certain brand of extra virgin olive oil that is authentic because most of it on the market is cut with seed oils. Research is necessary before choosing EVOO. I avoid all other refined seed oils because they cause inflammation.
Anyway, I feel like most foods are nutritious for us if we eat a wide variety, make our diet high fiber (gut microbes love fiber) and keep things prepared in the healthiest way possible. Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir is the best way to consume probiotics there is! These go a long way for our health.
I might be wrong but understanding the decline in diverse microbes residing in the human gut after industrialization (refined foods, medications like antibiotics, cesarian births and formula feeding etc) helps to put the puzzle pieces together of why so many of us are suffering from chronic diseases. Trying to address that particular angle of health is what I decided to go for. There are probably a lot of good answers. Anything but the American Standard Diet!
Thanks for such a great article!!
It takes a long time to adopt some of these habits but it's worth it!
Great post. Variety must be important but there also must be one cause of the obesity/poor health epidemic that stands out.
If you haven ever looked into the microbiome-obesity connection, you might find it fascinating. People who are obese often have a similar gut profile. There’s a bacteria that often dominates the gut of obese people but I can’t remember the name of it at the moment. I’m sure there are multiple factors to various chronic diseases but I found the gut connection really interesting and compelling!
Thanks for a brilliant summary. Why is dairy such a divisive issue? I personally love it but too much and certain type can make me feel sick. But is there any link with dairy and auto-immune / cancers?!
I don't think so. The trad view is that increased LDL such as occurs slightly w keto/carnivore diet increased inflammation and disease like heart disease, but I don't think this is borne out. It may be most related to seed oils, see next post. I don't pretend to have the answers
I like cheese
I discovered what was driving my overeating-processed food addiction! I know it sounds strange but once I got the right kind of help (not a diet-but recovery) I have been able to stay off sugar!! Even over the holidays! Dr. Joan Ifland wrote the textbook on the subject! Check her out on YouTube! Or join the Food Addiction Education Facebook page! I have found so much freedom!