(NaturalHealth365) Sanity is finally ruling nutrition, at least in Sweden. Few subjects, in medicine, find less agreement than the topics of nutrition and optimal diet. Nobody disputes that a good diet properly digested is critical for regaining and maintaining good health. However, what comprises that good diet remains deeply controversial today.
However, a glimmer of dietary sanity might finally be arriving, at least from a Swedish perspective.
High-fat, low-carb is the healthiest dietary regimen for most people.
A two-year study by the Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment reviewed 16,000 studies published through May 31, 2013. Very significantly, the committee found that, “Butter, olive oil, heavy cream, and bacon are not harmful foods. Quite the opposite. Fat is the best thing for those who want to lose weight. And there are no connections between a high fat intake and cardiovascular disease.”
While this might make a lot of docs derisively snort while their obedient patients look confused, it must be clearly asserted that this committee is absolutely correct in this bold assertion. As a result of this study, Sweden has become the first Western nation to adopt guidelines that support a high-fat, low-carb diet for its population.
In point of fact, much of Sweden follows such a diet already, and only about 14% of its population can be classified as obese, while about 33% are obese in the United States.
Editor’s Note: We might also have to consider the quality of the food sold in the United States – as a major contributor to degenerative diseases. GMOs, chemicals and factory-farming techniques are responsible for the poor quality food that most Americans are eating. When it comes to animal foods – always look for ‘pasture-raised’, ‘grass-fed’ and ‘non-GMO’ (organic) food items.
Sugar (carbs) cause fat gain. Fat does not cause fat gain!
It is no secret to those docs and scientists familiar with the medical literature that the steady rise in sugar and carbohydrates has fueled the steady rise in atherosclerosis, and this rise is the primary reason for the abnormalities in blood fats (cholesterol, lipids) that are known to feed the growth of obstructive coronary artery plaques over time.
It is also the high-carb, low-fat diet that continues to feed the epidemic of diabetes in the United States. Conversely, a high fat content in the diet has no relationship to weight gain per se, even though simplistic logic might indicate otherwise.
Fats also make weight loss (or maintenance) easier.
Increased fat intake in the diet also naturally suppresses the pangs of hunger. Carbs, on the other hand, fuel spikes in blood sugar. These spikes then cause insulin surges, which keeps the eater hungry for even more carbs.
In other words, carbs promote abnormal glucose metabolism with all its side effects while further stimulating hunger and promoting chronic overeating.
Calories are important, but they are not the primary consideration.
There is no doubt that a significant restriction of your calorie intake can be an effective way to lose weight. As the old saying goes, if you want to lose weight, “Eat less.” However, if you restrict the wrong foods, you will also compromise your health in the process.
Many important nutrients are fat soluble, and while minimizing this aspect of the diet might contribute to weight loss, it will also result in a chronic malnutrition. Sick, obese individuals, many with diabetes, keep our health care system humming. Don’t just assume that every healthcare practitioner you encounter really has your best health as the main priority.
The scientific data supporting the benefits of a high-fat, low-carb are enormous, not minimal. If your doc does not know this, he/she should. It’s hidden in plain view.
A high-fat, low carb diet also ends up satisfying the rules of proper food combining much more often than a high-carb diet, even without trying. Carbs with meat and high protein just destroy good digestion. A great diet poorly digested presents an enormous amount of toxicity to the body on a chronic basis.
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About the author: Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD is a board-certified internist and cardiologist. He is also bar-certified for the practice of law. He has written extensively on the importance of eliminating toxins while bolstering antioxidant defenses in the body, with particular focus on vitamin C. His upcoming new book will be released in a month, entitled Death by Calcium. His website is PeakEnergy.com
Levy, T. (2001) Optimal Nutrition for Optimal Health. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing
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