Away with extra virgin olive oil! Nuts are forbidden! Eat chicken breast galore!” And people do lose weight like this, but with very unpleasant consequences, such as hair loss, loss of libido, the yo-yo effect, increased inflammation, and loss of skin tone. Do you get the message? The reason for the loss of skin tone in all these diets is the lack of fats, which are essential components of the cells in our bodies. Humans cannot do without fats. Primitive man primarily consumed dry fruits/nuts, oily seeds, fish, and the fatty parts of the animals they killed. Our metabolism is excellent at burning fats and cannot do without them.
Fats are, in fact, subdivided into essential and non-essential fats. The essential fats are linoleic acid, where all the omega-6 fats originate, and linolenic acid, from which all omega-3 fats come. Even though EPA and DHA are omega-3 fats that can be produced by linolenic acid, I feel that they should be directly introduced into our bodies primarily by means of seafood; in fact, when linolenic acid enters our bodies, it does not necessarily lead to the production of EPA and DHA, which are fundamental to our well-being. Because of this uncertainty, daily consumption of seafood is advised, if not mandatory. EPA and DHA have very important functions within our bodies:
● a strong anti-inflammatory function, producing the good ecosanoids that oppose the bad ecosanoids originating from arachidonic acid, the fatty acid of meat origin, but also derived from linoleic fatty acid, belonging to the family of omega-6 fats and consumed in disproportionate quantities in the Western world. Inflammation, especially silent inflammation, is the main cause of cancer and autoimmune diseases in the West;
● they enable the lowering of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, thus protecting the cardiovascular system;
● DHA, in particular, is present in large quantities in breast milk, allowing the correct development of brain functions, increasing cognitive functions and visual acuity, and fighting free radicals in the brain;
● both are immunomodulators—that is, they regulate the immune system response and fight allergies originating from the immune system, the body’s army, which can often wield more “flamethrowers” (bad ecosanoids) than “hydrants” (good ecosanoids).
Another vital point I would like to dwell on for a moment is the cholesterol “boogeyman.” In recent years, an intense anti-cholesterol campaign has been launched, promoted by physicians who are a little too apprehensive towards patients. The recommended values for total cholesterol were, up to just a few years ago, below 240 mg/dl. Today we have maximum total cholesterol values of 200 with maximum LDL values of up to 140; there are even some geniuses who recommend decreasing this value to under 100, claiming a large part of the population should take statins to inhibit the production of cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis!
But what function does cholesterol serve? Cholesterol is a very important lipid within our bodies. It is the essential component for the formation and stabilization of cell membranes. A lack thereof would lead to poor cell turnover. Cholesterol is a precursor to many hormones; in fact, a cholesterol deficiency could cause:
● decreased libido in humans (because testosterone could not be formed);
● suppression of the immune response due to the deficiency of vitamin D, (which is produced precisely by cholesterol), followed by depression;
● poor control of the immune system, as a cholesterol deficiency also causes a decrease in blood cortisol;
● a decrease in female estradiol with serious consequences, such as osteoporosis.
There is a fundamental concept to point out: the intake of food cholesterol does not negatively influence the cholesterol present in our arteries. In fact, it helps eliminate it. Our bodies are equipped with an internal control mechanism for the production of cholesterol. As soon as we take in cholesterol in the form of food, the liver itself no longer produces it, meaning that the amount taken in will never ever increase the amount already present in the blood. Had it not been so, the French, with all the cholesterol they ingest every day, would have died out from all the heart attacks. More than anything else, we need to understand why the body produces high amounts of cholesterol. Could it be inflammation, given how cholesterol is needed to restore cell membranes? Perhaps it is poor sex hormone formation, seeing as cholesterol is used for this as well? Is it a need for cortisol production, an anti-inflammatory molecule derived from cholesterol? But then how does atherosclerotic plaque form?
Recent studies have shown that the formation of atherosclerotic plaque is the final stage of a path that begins with the alteration of blood vessels due to the constant presence of high blood sugar levels. In other words, when the structure of a blood vessel is altered, cholesterol gets into the endothelial tissue of the vessel, with subsequent inflammation that entails the deposit of platelets and the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Furthermore, recent studies cite that the infiltration of cholesterol into blood vessel tissue depends both on the size of the LDL cholesterol (known as bad cholesterol) and on the degree of oxidation of these small and oxidized LDL particles that penetrate the blood vessel. On the contrary, large and non-oxidized LDLs do not have this capability. As such, checking the LDL values in tests is pertinent, since only very few medical testing centers evaluate the oxidation and size of LDL particles. Another value to check is the ratio between HDL (known as good cholesterol) and total cholesterol. My total cholesterol could be above 200, but if the HDL ratio is lower than 4, I would not have much cause for concern, as I would consider myself pretty protected. I have seen patients with 220 total cholesterol, and 120 HDL cholesterol, who came to me frightened enough to start an anti-cholesterol diet because they were threatened by the imminent prescription of statins because their cholesterol was out of bounds! I can imagine the day will come when all of mankind has statins for breakfast… Crazy stuff! Statins are drugs with numerous side effects, which are described in the leaflet accompanying the aforementioned drug: joint pain, severe peeling of the skin; blisters of the skin, mouth, genitals and eyes, and liver disorders, among many others.
As you can see, these are problems that are almost always dealt with via other medications, not realizing that it may be the medication itself causing the ailments. The leaflet also states that these medications must be used only in the event that proper diet and physical activity fail. I can tell you from personal experience that half the patients who come to my office take statins without even having tried the dietary route because they thought their cholesterol levels were genetic. “Doctor, I have it because my mom did, and my grandmother before her…” When I hear this, my answer is as follows: “Dear patient, you have it because you are eating what your mother, grandmother, and predecessors ate.” Guess what the average Italian eats? Pasta, bread, potatoes, pizza, and all the other crap made of white flour and sugar! Now, you must be thinking: “But what does pasta have to do with cholesterol?” It has been known for years that blood cholesterol levels rise not because cholesterol is introduced by way of food, but because of a diet rich in flours, especially white flour and sugar. In short, the typical diet of the Western population, who are great experts in chemistry, biochemistry, medicine, and engineering, and who are even capable of reaching the moon, have received very little education when it comes to food science, which should be one of the main subjects taught to everyone starting in elementary school, in the name of prevention!
Today, we know that saturated fats are not the real culprits of atherosclerosis. As mentioned above, plaque does not form if an artery is not damaged, and it occurs only following continuous inflammation due to high levels of glycemia and insulin; in fact, atherosclerotic plaques are lifelong companions of diabetics. It is not a coincidence!
The reason we are afraid of saturated fats stems from the fact that, in 1967, a few scientists were paid by the sugar industry to write up false studies whereby the important role sugar plays in the genesis of atherosclerosis was omitted. These “studies” claimed that fats caused all cardiovascular disorders. For years, professionals have believed—and many continue to believe—in these studies, referring back to them whenever anyone makes the counterclaim that the cause of cardiovascular damage is actually sugars and not fats.
A series of studies done in France in 1979 has negated the link between the intake of saturated fats/cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases, leading to what is known today as the French paradox. These studies showed that the French, who are egg and cheese eaters, died less from cardiovascular diseases