"'The Framingham Heart Study ' is often cited as proof of the cholesterol/animal fat theory. This study began in 1948 and involved about 6,000 people from the town of Framingham, Mass. Two groups were compared at five year intervals-- those who consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat and those who consumed large amounts. After 40 years, the director of this study admitted, 'In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol. Further, we found that the people who ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active.' The study did show that those who weighed more and had higher blood cholesterol levels were more at risk for future coronary heart disease; but weight gain and cholesterol levels had an inverse correlation with fat and cholesterol intake in the diet."

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, Promotion Publishing, 1995, p.5

Comment: In this study dietary intake of fat did not correspond to individual's total cholesterol or weight. In fact, the individuals eating the most calories and the greatest amount of fat and cholesterol had the lowest weights and the lowest total cholesterol level. Those findings make sense if we consider the function of insulin. If an individual is eating a low fat diet, he is usually eating a high carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates cause the greatest increase in insulin. Insulin stimulates weight gain and cholesterol production. Therefore the individuals eating a higher fat, lower carbohydrate diet would have lower insulin, less weight gain and lower total cholesterol. Furthermore, activity decreases insulin.

© Health Equations 2002

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