David Evans - Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Prevent Heart Disease

This book is dedicated to my father

This book is intended solely for informational and educational purposes and not as medical advice, nor to replace the advice of a doctor or other health care professional. Anyone wishing to embark on any dietary or lifestyle change must first consult with his or her health care professional.

The decision to use any information in this book is entirely the decision of the reader, who assumes full responsibility for any and all consequences arising from such a decision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be held liable for any consequences resulting or allegedly resulting from use of information in this book.

This book is based on the findings of papers published in peer reviewed scientific journals, although the title does sound like something from a fantastic fairy tale. I mean everybody knows that cholesterol and saturated fat are the twin evils that lead to heart disease and an early death.

We have all heard that the standard dietary advice to prevent heart disease is to cut right down on cholesterol, red meat and saturated fats. To accompany this we are told we must eat plenty of carbohydrate rich, starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Again everybody knows this advice must be good for us.

Now imagine if what everybody knows is not true.

Imagine the dietary advice we have been given over the last four or five decades has been wrong.

Imagine the dietary advice we have been given actually contributes to the epidemics of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders.

I used to 100% believe that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat should be avoided and low fat diets should be embraced for the avoidance of heart disease and other conditions.

However over the years a few health problems started to appear. I had a nagging rash that would not clear up, and also suffered from athletes foot. Regular bouts of heartburn used to punctuate my day and depressive episodes were beginning to blight my life. I was possibly pre-diabetic and my weight inexorably kept creeping up, to the point where I was thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed about myself.

Therefore I tried to lose weight by various means, the low fat route, the low calorie route and the extreme exercise route, but I always ended up eventually gaining extra weight.

A number of people I know started to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other health problems, this at a relatively young age and despite them taking their tablets and adhering to a no smoking, low alcohol, low fat diet, moderate exercise type of lifestyle.

Nationally also, the incidence of these problems seems to increase inexorably.

For years I had an uneasy vague feeling that something must have changed, because many diseases and conditions that were rare or almost unheard of in previous generations were now commonplace.

This uneasy feeling (and my increasing girth) motivated me into nutritional research. Ive literally read dozens of books and thousands of papers published in peer reviewed scientific journals on the subject of nutrition and health.

The result of this research manifests itself in the 101 scientific papers in this book. I personally applied the principles of this research and effortlessly lost over 50lb excess weight and my health problems disappeared without having to resort to medical treatment. My energy levels have surged, I feel more alive and I have an enhanced sense of wellbeing.

The knowledge I have gained from all this research has led me to believe the eat low fat dietary mantra is sadly misguided and in fact is a major cause in the rise of many health conditions, diseases and obesity.

Another apparently set in stone mantra is that high blood cholesterol levels will be the precursor to certain heart disease and an early death. This is another in the everybody knows category.

We are frequently encouraged to have our cholesterol numbers checked and almost invariably after the numbers have been analysed, we are advised they are high, so we are at risk of heart disease, and that we need to take a little pill called a statin to save our lives.

Research of the scientific literature regarding high cholesterol and disease reveals a completely different story.

High cholesterol levels are actually associated with a longer life, so by being prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication you are taking steps to shorten your lifespan.

Saturated fat and cholesterol are in fact essential for good health.

More than half the brain is fat and cholesterol and over half that fat is saturated.

Fat and cholesterol are major components of the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibres.

Saturated fats are a rich source of the vitamins A, D and K2.

They are the preferred fuel for the heart.

They constitute more than half of the cell membrane.

They are critical for healthy bones.

They can reverse liver damage.

They help to create a strong immune system.

Cholesterol is essential for the production of hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen.

Cholesterol is the precursor to vitamin D.

Cholesterol acts as an antioxidant.

It is needed for the brain to function properly.

As you can see saturated fat and cholesterol are vital nutrients.

You are probably wondering how we got to the state of affairs where we are told to abstain from foods that have nourished us for over 21/2 million years, to now be advised to consume a diet that is foreign to our body, and that we must take pills that reduce an essential nutrient.

This book will answer that question and more. You will see the evidence from 101 scientific papers, which show how the saturated fat/cholesterol/heart disease hypothesis was born, and despite billions of dollars and decades of research, the hypothesis has never been proven.

You will discover that high cholesterol actually prolongs life, and find out the real reasons why people may get heart disease.

Finally insights and observations are gleaned from eminent professors and doctors into why the saturated fat/cholesterol/heart disease hypothesis is false.

This book has been written for people who are worried about the health of their heart. The general public and health practitioners are probably unaware of some or even most of the information and evidence presented in this book.

This information and evidence, taken directly from the actual scientific papers on the subject of the causes and prevention of heart disease, will allow you and your doctor to make informed decisions on the best way to maintain and improve your heart health, without the need to rely on the erratic everybody knows method of healthy living.

This book contains 101 scientific papers which have virtually all been published in peer reviewed scientific journals.

The format of the book has been designed so you can analyse each paper independently, although you could read the whole book through, or pick a chapter where you need particular knowledge.

Every paper has a heading that gives the essence of its findings. Each paper also contains the name of the author, the title of the paper and where it was published.

I then try and describe the findings of the paper in a concise, easy to read manner. However some unfamiliar words are in the text, which are explained in the glossary.

For an example of the layout, paper 28 is shown below: