Lerxst said:
You're entire argument is completely moot with this bit of information.
I spent a little time researching the meta-analysis that HomoCarniv. provided - and thanks, HC, for the link. What I discovered:
* Funding for Hu came from the National Dairy Industry
* While saturated fat may only be a piece of the puzzle, cholesterol levels definitively have been proven to impact CVD
This is a pretty good link with some references and recommended reading; it's a website for health professionals --->
http://www.rd411.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1452:saturated-fat-and-cholesterol-a-look-at-the-conflicting-information&catid=98:heart-health&Itemid=392
Bottom line(s):
So, I can eat as much fatty meat and butter as I want?
Absolutely not. A past president of the American Heart Association has cautioned people to not overinterpret the results of this research. Many studies have shown that saturated fat will raise cholesterol levels, and the advice to limit intake is not likely to change in the near future.
Research is beginning to show that it is not just cholesterol intake, saturated fat consumption, or any other single thing that leads to heart disease. The shift is toward ?a whole diet? approach to wellness, rather than a series of recommendations that each hone in on one single piece of the puzzle. It seems that a combination of saturated fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates seem to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
And:
For instance, a study published in Circulation in December 1993 examined the diets and heart disease rates of people in Finland and France. The risk of CHD was four times what it was in France, and yet their intake of cholesterol and saturated fat were very similar. After adjusting for cholesterol and saturated fat, the components of milk were further studied. It was discovered that more milk and butterfat were consumed in Finland than in France. Furthermore, the French ate more plant foods.
The authors concluded:
?Over the years, France and Finland, with similar intakes of cholesterol and saturated fat, consistently have had very different CHD mortality rates. This paradox may be explained as follows. Given a high intake of cholesterol and saturated fat, the country in which people also consume more plant foods, including small amounts of liquid vegetable oils, and more vegetables (more antioxidants) had lower rates of CHD mortality. On the other hand, milk and butterfat were associated with increased CHD mortality, possibly through their effects on thrombosis as well as on atherosclerosis.?
The Mediterranean diet, a diet high in fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil, and whole grains, has consistently proven itself to decrease the risk of heart disease. Of course, this diet also is pretty low in saturated fat. If you want to avoid heart disease, it seems sensible that you would also end up decreasing your intake of saturated fat, as a matter of course in embracing your new lifestyle.
I haven't seen ANYthing (and I mean ANYthing) out there that looks reputable in terms of saturated fat actually being GOOD for you; period, nada, zip. Even HC's meta-analysis simply was attempting to prove that saturated fat might not have as much impact on CVD as we think - which is good news. But you take that with all the other information...
Also, I thought it was kind of amusing:
http://www.skepdic.com/refuge/bunk28.html
It's the Skeptic's Dictionary talking about the first doctor, Uffe Ravnskov, that HC mentioned as "proof" that meat was good for you. Or cholesterol wasn't bad. Or something like that.
I'm not going to make the sweeping ethical statements of some vegans in that a vegan diet is necessary to save the Earth, more humane, etc., but out of the thousands of studies, meta-analysis, and time spent in the medical and nutritional fields myself I can pretty much conclusively say that any diet - including meat or not - benefits from including a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables. The phytonutrients, antioxidants, etc., from consuming plants probably go far beyond cardiovascular protection.
Michael Pollen's advice is looking pretty good still.
TL;DR - I don't think that any medical advice is going to come out, ever, that says "don't eat vegetables, they're bad for you" - meat may or may NOT be bad for you depending on other health factors - refined carbohydrates are pretty much universally agreed upon as horrible.
Me, I'll continue to eat a vegan/Mediterranean style diet as I've found that it's tasty, easy to do, and causes my total cholesterol (which I still think is an important CVD risk indicator) to be extremely low and also keeps my weight low even in periods of relative inactivity. It's focused around legumes/beans, vegetables, fruits, and some seeds and nuts with grain not really being a centerpiece; but whole grains occasionally doing a cameo.
I will of course adjust my diet and opinion if I gain new data that I find conclusive. Thus far most of the paleo diet people seem to be doing what most diet gurus are doing - trying to make money and sell supplements.