In a controversial Twitter thread, a fitness coach known as TheCoachFriso has ignited a heated debate challenging long-standing beliefs about the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat on human health. He alleges that the idea that cholesterol and saturated fat are detrimental to health is a “big fat lie” perpetuated by vested interests aiming to profit from the public’s misconceptions.
Foundation Of The Argument Against Cholesterol
The Twitter thread begins by questioning the foundation of the argument against cholesterol. It highlights Nikolai Anichkov’s 1913 study involving rabbits, pointing out that rabbits, being herbivores, do not naturally consume cholesterol-rich animal foods.
This clearly raises solid doubts about the validity of using rabbits as a model for human health because Anichkov’s study underpins the whole “Cholesterol is bad” theorem.
Fake Study Makes Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Look Bad
Another pivotal figure in the discussion is Ancel Keys, whose Seven Country Study has been widely cited as evidence supporting the detrimental effects of cholesterol. However, TheCoachFriso says that Keys actually studied 22 countries and found no relationship between mortality and cholesterol when considering all countries. He shows that selective presentation of data has led to a skewed understanding of the cholesterol-mortality link.
Friso’s Twitter thread says multiple studies, utilized by the American Heart Association (AHA) to support their claims against cholesterol and saturated fat, were falsified.
He alleges that researchers intentionally manipulated their data, ultimately misleading the public. Furthermore, the thread accuses the AHA of having financial ties to companies heavily involved in the vegetable oil industry, potentially influencing their recommendations to limit saturated fat intake and promote vegetable oil consumption.
Manipulating Science To Tell The Story You Want Told
Keys carefully cherrypicked the data needed to show the effect he wanted. The original study contained data from 22 countries that showed no relationship between mortality and cholesterol. But Selecting just six countries showed a very different picture. The USA, Canada, England, and Australia had the highest levels of margarine consumption. He never mentioned margarine in his six countries study and his deception was never exposed.
The Friso thread points out: “The outcome including all countries? NO relationship between mortality and cholesterol.”
Cholesterol And Overall Health
Cholesterol, which has been vilified by the AHA, is really a vital component for overall health. The twitter thread emphasizes cholesterol’s role in cell integrity, hormone metabolism, vitamin absorption, and myelination, which is crucial for brain and nerve function.
TheCoachFriso suggests that low cholesterol levels, a result of cholesterol-lowering medication, may lead to brain damage, muscle pain, and other side effects commonly observed in individuals taking such medication.
Plant-based diets, often promoted for their cholesterol-lowering potential, are also questioned. Friso claims that essential nutrients like cholesterol, Co-Q10, leucine, and valine are found predominantly in animal products. The thread further asserts that vegan women may experience disruptions in reproductive hormones due to the absence of these vital nutrients.
Statins
The discussion takes a darker turn when statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, are introduced. TheCoachFriso alleges that statins, the most profitable pharmaceutical drugs ever sold, are linked to adverse effects such as Alzheimer’s disease, myopathy, heart attacks, and suicidal thoughts. The AHA’s strong endorsement of statins raises eyebrows, particularly considering the financial support the organization receives from pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these medications.
Conflicts of interest within the AHA are exposed when it is revealed that members of the anti-cholesterol panel have financial ties to companies like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi. This revelation raises concerns about the impartiality and credibility of the AHA’s recommendations.
Question Everything
In conclusion, TheCoachFriso urges readers to question the claims made by industry-backed organizations, emphasizing the potential profit motives behind perpetuating misconceptions about cholesterol, saturated fat, and statins. He suggests that the true priority of these entities may be financial gain rather than public health.
Health Experts Speak Out
Friso is not the only one talking about this problem with cholesterol. Dr. Philip Ovadia, a heart surgeon says the 1980 dietary guidelines were based on the non-scientific assertion that cholesterol caused heart disease. These guidelines pushed the premise that saturated fat and cholesterol needed to be minimized in the diet.
Dr. Ovadia says that by the 1990s, statins were the most-prescribed medication, and they were used to lower cholesterol. More than 3 decades later, heart disease is still the #1 killer in the United States. But nobody cares, because they have their statins and they rely on unthinking “authority” of institutions with obvious conflicts of interest.
For those interested in exploring these ideas further, TheCoachFriso recommends reading “The Cholesterol Myths” by Uffe Ravnskov, which delves deeper into the controversies surrounding cholesterol, saturated fat, and statins.
Public discourse on this subject should consider a range of evidence-based perspectives. One very important thing to check, when reviewing evidence is to check for conflicts of interest. Too many times, scientific argument is skewed by conflicts and false “authority” used to squash alternative ideas and evidence.
Read the complete thread to see what else TheCoachFriso said about cholesterol and saturated fat.
