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Authors: Neal Barnard
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cholesterol is very low (below 150 mg/dL) as the result of a healthful diet, it may be that a low HDL is not a problem. Keep in mind that HDL’s function is to carry cholesterol away. So if there is very little cholesterol in your bloodstream, you presumably need less HDL.
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Triglycerides should be below 150 milligrams per deciliter (1.7 millimoles per liter). Triglycerides are particles of fat in the blood and are strongly affected by meals. For this reason, it is best to have your blood test while fasting.
It had once been thought that cholesterol in the bloodstream had nothing to do with cholesterol in the brain; 9 the brain actually makes its own cholesterol. But researchers now believe the situation is not so simple. They are teasing apart the reasons why fat and cholesterol that cause heart problems are linked to brain problems, too.
Add It Up
Could it really be that simple? Could toxic fats really push us toward Alzheimer’s disease, and could avoiding them make a difference? Well, first, let’s understand the numbers. What would it take to get to the amount that turned out to be particularly dangerous in the Chicago study—that is, 25 grams of saturated fat?
It is surprisingly easy. Dairy products, meat, and eggs are loaded with it. So if you had just one egg with bacon for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, and a moderate serving of meat for dinner, they would add up to 25 grams of “bad” fat.
Or have a glass of milk for breakfast, a serving of salmon for lunch, and half a cheese pizza for dinner. Bingo. You’re already at 25 grams of saturated fat.
“Yikes!” I hear you say. “That’s the way most people eat!” True enough. The North Dakota breakfasts I grew up on are not looking so good. We had an egg or two every morning, sometimes with bacon or sausage. We never used butter, but we topped our toast with margarine made from partially hydrogenated fat. We poured milk on our cereal and had another glass of milk on the side. My parents led the way, thinking they were providing nutritious meals for themselves and their children.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if my grandfather had not raised cattle for a living. It sounds silly to evenraise the question, but what if, instead of living on beef, chicken, and milk, our family’s staples had been like those in Loma Linda or Okinawa or Sardinia, or any of the other places where people live long, healthy lives? Could the long, slow mental decline that preceded my grandparents’ deaths have been prevented?
There is no way of telling for sure. But the good news is that there are plenty of healthful foods that we can take advantage of today. Vegetables, fruits, beans, and grains have essentially no “bad” fats at all. So maybe you’d like Masu’s sweet potatoes, rice, and green vegetables, or Ellsworth’s baked beans, corn on the cob, and soy yogurt. But how about paging through the recipe section of this book, where you’ll find Spiced Pumpkin Bread and Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast, CreamyPumpkin Bisque, Easy Colorful Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Burritos, or White Bean Chili for lunch, followed by Red Lentil or Potato Leek Soup, and Baked Ziti or Risotto Primavera for dinner, with a nice Warm Apple Cherry Compote, Baked Apples, or Chocolate Pudding for dessert? The choices are endless.
Do We Need Meat or Dairy Products?
If the main sources of saturated fat are dairy products and meats, you may be asking, how much meat and dairy products do we actually need?
The answer is, none at all. The healthiest diets exclude animal products completely. I must admit I was slow to come to this realization, which I will blame on my Midwestern upbringing. But studies show that people who choose the veggie burger over the meat variety and top their spaghetti with chunky tomatoes, fresh basil, and asparagus tips instead of meat and cheese get an enormous return on their investment. They are healthier. People who make
•
Triglycerides should be below 150 milligrams per deciliter (1.7 millimoles per liter). Triglycerides are particles of fat in the blood and are strongly affected by meals. For this reason, it is best to have your blood test while fasting.
It had once been thought that cholesterol in the bloodstream had nothing to do with cholesterol in the brain; 9 the brain actually makes its own cholesterol. But researchers now believe the situation is not so simple. They are teasing apart the reasons why fat and cholesterol that cause heart problems are linked to brain problems, too.
Add It Up
Could it really be that simple? Could toxic fats really push us toward Alzheimer’s disease, and could avoiding them make a difference? Well, first, let’s understand the numbers. What would it take to get to the amount that turned out to be particularly dangerous in the Chicago study—that is, 25 grams of saturated fat?
It is surprisingly easy. Dairy products, meat, and eggs are loaded with it. So if you had just one egg with bacon for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, and a moderate serving of meat for dinner, they would add up to 25 grams of “bad” fat.
Or have a glass of milk for breakfast, a serving of salmon for lunch, and half a cheese pizza for dinner. Bingo. You’re already at 25 grams of saturated fat.
“Yikes!” I hear you say. “That’s the way most people eat!” True enough. The North Dakota breakfasts I grew up on are not looking so good. We had an egg or two every morning, sometimes with bacon or sausage. We never used butter, but we topped our toast with margarine made from partially hydrogenated fat. We poured milk on our cereal and had another glass of milk on the side. My parents led the way, thinking they were providing nutritious meals for themselves and their children.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if my grandfather had not raised cattle for a living. It sounds silly to evenraise the question, but what if, instead of living on beef, chicken, and milk, our family’s staples had been like those in Loma Linda or Okinawa or Sardinia, or any of the other places where people live long, healthy lives? Could the long, slow mental decline that preceded my grandparents’ deaths have been prevented?
There is no way of telling for sure. But the good news is that there are plenty of healthful foods that we can take advantage of today. Vegetables, fruits, beans, and grains have essentially no “bad” fats at all. So maybe you’d like Masu’s sweet potatoes, rice, and green vegetables, or Ellsworth’s baked beans, corn on the cob, and soy yogurt. But how about paging through the recipe section of this book, where you’ll find Spiced Pumpkin Bread and Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast, CreamyPumpkin Bisque, Easy Colorful Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Burritos, or White Bean Chili for lunch, followed by Red Lentil or Potato Leek Soup, and Baked Ziti or Risotto Primavera for dinner, with a nice Warm Apple Cherry Compote, Baked Apples, or Chocolate Pudding for dessert? The choices are endless.
Do We Need Meat or Dairy Products?
If the main sources of saturated fat are dairy products and meats, you may be asking, how much meat and dairy products do we actually need?
The answer is, none at all. The healthiest diets exclude animal products completely. I must admit I was slow to come to this realization, which I will blame on my Midwestern upbringing. But studies show that people who choose the veggie burger over the meat variety and top their spaghetti with chunky tomatoes, fresh basil, and asparagus tips instead of meat and cheese get an enormous return on their investment. They are healthier. People who make
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