Links:
About this Episode:
One of the most important and influential papers in nutrition science is one by Ancel Keys and his colleagues that was published in The Lancet in 1957. This seminal paper examined the relationship between dietary fat intake and serum cholesterol levels. The researchers investigated how different types of fats in the diet affected cholesterol levels in a series of their previous tightly-controlled dietary experiments..
Those studies involved feeding the participants various diets with different compositions of fats. The researchers analyzed the participants’ blood samples to measure changes in serum cholesterol levels in response to dietary changes.
The most important aspect of this paper is the presentation of the ‘Keys Equation’; a predictive equation for the impacts of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, and dietary cholesterol, on blood cholesterol levels.
Crucially, the Keys Equation identifies the importance of the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats in the diet; known as the ‘P:S ratio’. It showed that the P:S ratio is the most important dietary factor impacting blood cholesterol levels. And specifically that saturated fats increase total and LDL cholesterol twice as much as polyunsaturated fats lower them.
The findings of this study were significant in highlighting the potential impact of dietary fat subtypes on serum cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. It contributed to the growing body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that high serum cholesterol levels, particularly due to a diet rich in saturated fats, were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
In this episode, as part of our new series taking an in-depth look at seminal nutrition studies, we go through this influential paper from Keys, Anderson and Grande.
#538: Can Fish Oil Supplementation Increase Risk of Irregular Heart Rhythms?
#537: Appetite Regulation, Metabolic Compensation and More – Stephan Guyenet, PhD
Caffeine Metabolism and Individual Variability
#536: Improving Sleep in Combat Sports Athletes – Ian Dunican, PhD
#535: Is This Meta-analysis Good or Bad? – How to Critique Nutrition Studies
#534: Are Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Healthy? – Matthew Nagra, ND
Timing of Eating: Energetic Hypothesis (SNP32)
#533: Making Sense of Omega-3 Supplement Trials – Prof. JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH
#532: Dietary Fat: Evidence vs. Misinformation – Alice Lichtenstein, DSc
#531: Correlation, Causation & Cliché
What is Regression to the Mean? (SNP31)
#530: Evidence-based Strategies for Learning & Skill Acquisition – Scott Young
#529: Addressing Popular Claims About Cholesterol, Dietary Fat and Heart Disease
#528: Is Unprocessed Red Meat Problematic for Our Health?
#527: How to Prevent & Treat Hypertension – Dr. Mohammed Alo, DO
#526: Eating Rate, Food Texture & Satiation – Marlou Lasschuijt, PhD
#525: Cholesterol-Lowering Medication – Dr. Paddy Barrett
#524: Strength & Fitness Levels for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk & Promoting Health Ageing – Jordan Feigenbaum, MD
SNP29: Athletes & Plant-Based Diets – Evidence & Application in Practice
#523: How Trustworthy is the Food Frequency Questionnaire in Evaluating Dietary Intake? – Deirdre Tobias, ScD
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina
ZOE Science & Nutrition
Realfoodology
LONGEVITY with Nathalie Niddam
Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michaels