Why did Dr. McCullough share this infograph?

Does he think these foods are healthy or was it an oversight?

What is wrong with this infographic?

Dr. McCullough recently posted this infographic (below). His post focused on hydrogenated oil, how to identify it on labels, and why we should avoid it. 

I agree with his comments on hydrogenated oil, but I can't understand why he shared the infographic touting seed oils as healthy and butter as bad.

Here is another post where I questioned McCullough’s statin comments.

I could not figure out how to make the infographic more prominent and visible, so here is the PDF link.

What stood out (to me) in this infographic

(I put in bold the ones on the list that I disagree with).

CHOOSE healthy spreads. Instead of stick margarine or butter, use soft tub spreads with low saturated fat and no trans fat.

Trans fat – like saturated fat – increases the risk of heart disease by raising "bad" (LDL) cholesterol.

* GOOD FATS • Olive, canola, and peanut oils • Olives • Cashews, almonds, peanuts, and most other nuts • Corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and cottonseed oils • Fish and seafood

BAD FATS Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil • Most margarine and shortening • Many deep-fried foods • Many fast foods • Most baked goods

Whole milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream • Lard and suet • Meat (beef, pork, bacon, sausage, and deli meats have the most) • Chicken and other poultry have less, especially with skin removed • Chocolate and cocoa butter • Palm oil • Coconut products, including milk and oil.

The above infographic guides us to avoid saturated fats, consume and prepare foods with seed oils and plant-based spreads, and avoid foods our grandparents and great-grandparents ate, such as whole milk and butter.

This chart (below) suggests that consuming foods with higher saturated fatty acids is healthier since they are more stable than mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids. According to this chart, coconut oil is the best source of saturated fatty acids, followed by ghee, tallow, and butter. Lard and duck fat are also good sources.

However, if we base the chart below on the information provided in the infographic above, it would indicate that the first nine oils (and Pam) on the list should be consumed for optimal cardiovascular and lipid health.

In contrast, science indicated here, here, and here that saturated fats are not the driver of heart disease and have an inverse relationship with strokes.

Seed oils are rising in usage while our health is declining.

In this presentation (45 minutes), Dr. Chris Knobbe compares our ancestors’ diet to our current diet in the US and its relationship to health, including heart disease. Knobbe indicated that our increase in poor health has little to do with carb intake and even little to do with sugar intake but is directly related to the rise in seed oil intake.

My one argument is that our ancestors had shorter life spans, so we may not have experienced as much cancer and heart disease. (i.e., lifespan in 1900 was 47)

In this video, Zoe Harcombe, PhD, discussed the health benefits of eggs, meat, and cholesterol myths.

Plant-based spreads. That sounds healthy because it has the word plant in it.

Let us take a look at some plant-based spread labels.

#1 This plant-based spread has several seed oils. It includes olive oil. Is that “real” olive oil or fake/adulterated olive oil?

#2 This option sounds healthier than the one under #1 but still contains canola and sunflower oil. The flaxseed is likely oxidized. (Tip: Flax can go rancid quickly after ground up.) If you use flax, buy it in whole seed form, store it in the fridge, and grind up only the needed amount.

#3 Miyoko’s plant-based butter is a better option but contains inflammatory oils like sunflower. Even if a seed oil is organic, it is still not an ideal choice.

• Ingredients

  Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Cultured Cashew Milk (Filtered Water, Organic Cashews, Cultures), Filtered Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt. Contains: Cashews, Coconut. Natural Flavors

And here is what is in grass-fed salted butter

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Ingredients
Pasteurized Cream (Milk), Salt.

Soybean oil is unhealthy, but soy protein is healthy?

A reader sent me this link to a video by Dr. Greger examining soy protein. The evidence he shared supports the narrative that soy protein is healthier for humans than meat protein sources. His video sounds compelling, and he mentions that soy protein has been shown to reduce cancer risk. 

I looked at the video's sources. The first link does not work, and another leads to a site advocating changing the agricultural landscape (e.g., removing cattle). Many others were to study abstracts only. One study was based on food frequency questionnaires, which I have argued previously are unreliable for accurate dietary information. One source is an American Heart Association article.

Dr. Greger compares eggs to oats, saying oats are the preferred protein option. But why? One egg has 6-8 protein grams, depending on its size. It is a complete protein source, rich in choline, and a B12 source.  If the egg is from a pasture-raised chicken, the omega-3 content will be higher, less omega-6, and higher in carotenoids.

On the other hand, oats are not a complete protein, with one half a cup containing 5.3 protein grams, and, as a plant, do not contain B12. Additionally, even if the bag of oats says they are non-GMO, they can be sprayed with herbicides like wheat, such as glyphosate, just before harvest.

Based on Dr. Greger's information, I do not know if the studies cited showed that soy protein is healthier than grass-fed beef, raw milk, pasture-raised eggs, and raw cheese. The research may have indicated that soy protein is more nutritious than a diet filled with fast-food burgers. Again, I could not see the studies cited, but I assume they did not compare soy protein to a healthy meat and dairy-based diet.

Soy and your hormones

Photo by Daniela Paola Alchapar on Unsplash

The research on soy is very conflicting. This study indicated that soy milk can raise estrogen levels, and this case study showed that soy isoflavone powder can contribute to hypothyroidism. Still, other studies suggest that soy does not raise estrogen levels. 

Is our food a source of estrogen?

Much like my C19 journey has evolved over the past several years, my thoughts on estrogen also have.

This interview is informative. Wendy Selllen discusses breast cancer with Dr. Malik and the issues with too much estrogen coming into our diet via soy, plant-based spreads, some herbal products, and oral contraceptives.

This disrupted estrogen (which also comes from the growth hormones injected into dairy and beef) is causing early puberty and menopausal symptoms. For instance, why are girls going through puberty at age 8? It will probably soon be considered “normal,” but it is anything but normal.

Sellen raises a valid point stating our great-grandmothers did not know what “menopause” was outside of the menstrual cycle ceasing. They did not experience hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, heart palpitations, or brain fog associated with this transitional time in life.

Our hormones have become so disrupted by the environment we now live in and the food we consume.

How did the plant-based movement really get started?

This was an eye-opening short video clip about how vegetarian diets and Crisco became popular (definitely not for the reasons I would have thought!). This was video 1 in 8 short videos on “rethinking meat consumption.”

Bottom Line

Like the C19 scam harming health, pushing seed oils and plant-only diets may do the same.

Prepare your food at home as much as possible. Source locally. Grow what you can. Don’t assume a high-end restaurant will offer higher-quality food and not use seed oils. Ask!

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