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This chart looked pretty striking. "Tokelau, Masai, and Inuit populations who consume “extremely” high percentages of saturated fat yet have extremely low rate

by pcurve 4y ago

This chart looked pretty striking. "Tokelau, Masai, and Inuit populations who consume “extremely” high percentages of saturated fat yet have extremely low rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes." So much conflicting studies on this, I'm at a loss to what to believe, including this study that points otherwise: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/saturated-fats-increased-heart-disease-risk/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/saturated-f...

christophilus 4y ago
My guess is that there are genetic differences, and possibly environmental triggers that change how humans process foods. So, there’s probably no universal rule. Inuits almost certainly need the fats due to their environment. Sub Saharan Africans probably don’t.
- Jorengarenar 4y ago
  I don't know how true it is, but I remember learning back in elementary school there were cases of Europeans dying from food poisoning after eating some Inuit dishes without proper "training".
  - Rury 4y ago
    Doesn't seem that farfetched. I mean there are well known genetic conditions which cause you to become mentally retarded, if not death, if you eat certain foods (eg PKU). Then there's protective genetic conditions like gilbert's syndrome, mutations which give lactose tolerance for life, hereditary haemochromatosis... It should be obvious by now that subtle genetic differences can hold a huge influence in regards to what a "healthy" diet for someone is. IMO, there isn't enough research being done on such matters.
- pcurve 4y ago
  High-fat diet made Inuits healthier but shorter thanks to gene mutations, study finds https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/high-fat-diet-made-inuits-healthier-shorter-thanks-gene-mutations-study-finds https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/high-fat-diet-made-inuits-heal... There are other reasons, but Inuits also don't live long compare to others. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-inuit/inuit-lifespan-stagnates-while-canadas-rises-idUSN2362426520080123 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-inuit/inuit-lifespan-stag...
andsoitis 4y ago
> high percentages of saturated fat yet have extremely low rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. They also move around much more, don't eat tons of refined carbs and sugars, live in more "sociable" societies, etc.
jolux 4y ago
I’m inclined to believe (on somewhat shaky grounds, after all I’m a hacker not a doctor) that it’s the combination of fats with highly processed carbohydrates and especially sedentary lifestyles that is devastating.
rdedev 4y ago
https://youtu.be/kQHxAAwz_7E https://youtu.be/kQHxAAwz_7E Best take I've seen on this debate. TLDR, in general its better to recommend a plant majority diet on a population basis but on an individual level, try an elimination diet to see what works and what dosent
chasebank 4y ago
I'm not a dietary expert but have you not gone on a Atkins / South Beach / keto / whatever we're calling it this year diet? It's pretty telling. I shed excess weight, I feel amazing and most allergy / autoimmune stuff disappears from my life. The hard part is eating like that the rest of your life. Even if it did increase risk of heart disease, which I think it most likely does not, I'd rather live a life feeling amazing and die at 75 than feeling subpar all the time living until 95.
vasqw 4y ago
All these studies are the same... A gazillion variables that they don't control for or that we don't even know about. On top of that some of those studies are paid for by organisations that have interests. Nutrition is nothing but junk science.

by pcurve 4y ago

christophilus 4y ago

My guess is that there are genetic differences, and possibly environmental triggers that change how humans process foods. So, there’s probably no universal rule. Inuits almost certainly need the fats due to their environment. Sub Saharan Africans probably don’t.

Jorengarenar 4y ago
I don't know how true it is, but I remember learning back in elementary school there were cases of Europeans dying from food poisoning after eating some Inuit dishes without proper "training".
- Rury 4y ago
  Doesn't seem that farfetched. I mean there are well known genetic conditions which cause you to become mentally retarded, if not death, if you eat certain foods (eg PKU). Then there's protective genetic conditions like gilbert's syndrome, mutations which give lactose tolerance for life, hereditary haemochromatosis... It should be obvious by now that subtle genetic differences can hold a huge influence in regards to what a "healthy" diet for someone is. IMO, there isn't enough research being done on such matters.
pcurve 4y ago
High-fat diet made Inuits healthier but shorter thanks to gene mutations, study finds https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/high-fat-diet-made-inuits-healthier-shorter-thanks-gene-mutations-study-finds https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/high-fat-diet-made-inuits-heal... There are other reasons, but Inuits also don't live long compare to others. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-inuit/inuit-lifespan-stagnates-while-canadas-rises-idUSN2362426520080123 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-inuit/inuit-lifespan-stag...

andsoitis 4y ago

> high percentages of saturated fat yet have extremely low rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. They also move around much more, don't eat tons of refined carbs and sugars, live in more "sociable" societies, etc.

jolux 4y ago

I’m inclined to believe (on somewhat shaky grounds, after all I’m a hacker not a doctor) that it’s the combination of fats with highly processed carbohydrates and especially sedentary lifestyles that is devastating.

rdedev 4y ago

https://youtu.be/kQHxAAwz_7E https://youtu.be/kQHxAAwz_7E Best take I've seen on this debate. TLDR, in general its better to recommend a plant majority diet on a population basis but on an individual level, try an elimination diet to see what works and what dosent

chasebank 4y ago

I'm not a dietary expert but have you not gone on a Atkins / South Beach / keto / whatever we're calling it this year diet? It's pretty telling. I shed excess weight, I feel amazing and most allergy / autoimmune stuff disappears from my life. The hard part is eating like that the rest of your life. Even if it did increase risk of heart disease, which I think it most likely does not, I'd rather live a life feeling amazing and die at 75 than feeling subpar all the time living until 95.

vasqw 4y ago

All these studies are the same... A gazillion variables that they don't control for or that we don't even know about. On top of that some of those studies are paid for by organisations that have interests. Nutrition is nothing but junk science.