n an era where food choices define not just our health but our identities, the concept of "healthy eating" has evolved from simple nourishment to a battleground of cultural norms, societal pressures, and scientific controversies. This post explores the multifaceted world of nutrition, contrasting longstanding mainstream beliefs—such as the diet-heart hypothesis linking saturated fats and cholesterol to heart disease—with innovative ideas, including the lipid energy model, which reframes lipid metabolism in low-carb contexts. Through an examination of ad hominem attacks on pioneers like Dave Feldman and Nick Norwitz, I uncover why personal vitriol often supplants rigorous debate, and we ultimately advocate for a return to the scientific method as the true arbiter of truth in our pursuit of better health.
Read MoreRecently, I had the delightful opportunity to chat with Dr. Robert Lustig at a conference where he delivered the main address. We had previously collaborated on a panel at UCLA in 2022. If you're interested, you can watch his presentation starting at 34:15 here. Dr. Lustig is a renowned expert on metabolism, so I took the chance to discuss my recent post on the lipid energy model with him. He shared a research paper he contributed to, promising it would clear up any confusion. The post below is a summary of that paper, which you can read here. This research brings together four main theories into a single OBS/Redox model of obesity.
Read MoreCognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time. The psychologist Leon Festinger came up with the concept in 1957. Festinger believed that all people are motivated to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance due to the discomfort it causes, and it can prompt people to adopt certain defense mechanisms when they have to confront it—namely, avoidance, delegitimizing, and limiting the impact. The last thing people seem to want to do is confront the conflicting ideas and change their beliefs. Sadly, scientists are not immune to this phenomenon. Today I am going to present some recent studies that are generating cognitive dissonance even though they do a better job of explaining phenomena related to cholesterol levels than the traditional theories.
Read MoreDr. Matthew Budoff presented data on December 9, 2023, demonstrating that a subgroup of individuals with very high total cholesterol and LDL do not seem to develop heart disease. The subjects are known as "Lean Mass Hyper Responders." The group became notable during the rise in popularity of ketogenic diets. This post will cover what a ketogenic diet is, what a lean mass hyper responder is, the possible mechanism of why they seem to be immune to heart disease, and the study itself.
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