The Truth About Cholesterol and Heart Disease

What do you think of first when you see the word cholesterol?  Heart disease…?  We’ll you’re definitely not alone.  Cholesterol and heart disease have been synonymous since the 70’s when a scientist named Ancel Keys (1) published a major study, spanning seven countries on how diet affects the heart. 

Key’s conclusion:  Cholesterol causes heart disease and saturated fat increases cholesterol and hence saturated fat causes heart disease.  This began the fat free craze that literally swept the nation…fat became nationally demonized as the cause of heart disease (along with weight gain).  And the high carb, low fat diet became the face of the “healthy heart” American diet.

The study became so engrained that an entire new national program was developed, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).  NCEP’s objective is to help educate people of the dangers of high cholesterol and how to best prevent heart disease.  Now, that seems like a great program…right?  I mean our tax money is actually going toward something that helps the general public and as supposed to some major private conglomerate that uses our money to increase their pay checks.  Well,  there’s only one problem.  The “landmark” study, which all dietary recommendation for a health heart was based on, was found to be flawed.

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