The Truth About Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Red Meat
Are saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and red meat really the enemies of your health? In Episode 2 of ReThink Meat, we uncover the truth about their supposed connection to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—and what the latest science actually says.
This 22-minute episode exposes the shaky origins of the anti-fat narrative, revealing how conflicts of interest, hidden research, and oversimplified science created one of the biggest misconceptions in dietary history. From the American Heart Association’s support of seed oils to the controversial WHO classification of meat as a carcinogen, we separate fact from fiction and reveal the true dietary culprits.
👀 What you’ll learn: The origins of the myth linking saturated fat to heart disease. Why dietary cholesterol is not as dangerous as you’ve been told. Shocking new studies that were hidden from the public. How conflicts of interest shaped America’s dietary guidelines. The truth about red meat, its role in cancer risk, and what the science says today.
This episode will change the way you think about meat, fat, and the real causes of chronic disease. Don’t settle for outdated advice—get the facts and rethink what you thought you knew about animal products.
Study links: docs.google.com/document/d/1on6jebC_JAN-QUv5dvgbLo_KsUvfTxVHXEY-DGjqCmI/edit?tab=t.0
Summary :
This video explores the controversial views on saturated fat, cholesterol, and red meat in relation to health risks such as heart disease and cancer. It questions the prevailing narrative that demonizes animal products while emphasizing their nutritional value and calling for a re-evaluation of dietary guidelines based on scientific evidence.
Key Points
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Debate
The long-held belief that saturated fat and cholesterol are primary causes of heart disease stems from the diet-heart hypothesis promoted in the 1950s. Recent reviews indicate that dietary cholesterol is not a significant concern for most people, as 80% of blood cholesterol is produced by the body, undermining older dietary recommendations.
Historical Context of Dietary Guidelines
Influential dietary guidelines, like those from the American Heart Association beginning in the 1960s, have driven the avoidance of saturated fats. However, many supporting studies lack rigorous data and have led to confusion about the real health impacts of these fats.
Red Meat and Cancer Concerns
Red meat has been classified as a possible carcinogen, but these claims often rely on limited evidence particularly when compared to well-established risk factors like smoking. Many studies show weak links between red meat and diseases, suggesting the risks may be exaggerated.
Current Trends in Meat Consumption
As obesity rates have increased, meat consumption has actually decreased in some areas, casting doubt on the narrative that red meat is to blame for health issues. Increasing consumption of processed foods and sugars is likely more responsible for rising disease rates.
Whole Foods vs Processed Foods
The video encourages a focus on whole foods and cautions against processed products that have emerged in recent decades. Evidence suggests a diet rich in natural fats and protein from animal products is beneficial, while processed foods are linked to various health problems.
references
ReThink Meat: The Link Between Meat & Disease | episode two Claim: while our rates of disease have risen in the last several decades, our consumption of red meat and certain animal fats has in fact, declined (Lee et al., 2022). Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.748847/full?s=09
Claim: If you’ve been paying attention lately, you might have heard that dietary cholesterol has been vindicated (USDA, 2015). Sources: https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Scientific-Report-of-the-2015-Dietary-Guidelines-Advisory-Committee.pdf
Claim: It turns out only 20% of the cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from the food you eat. The remaining 80% is naturally produced by your body (Corliss, 2017). Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/how-its-made-cholesterol-production-in-your-body
Claim: According to Harvard School of Public Health, scientific studies show a weak relationship between the amount of cholesterol a person consumes and his or her blood cholesterol levels (Cholesterol | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, n.d.). Sources: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/
Claim: When we don’t have enough fats, we become nutrient deficient, causing symptoms like skin issues (Anez-Bustillos et al., 2018), hair loss (Guo & Katta, 2017), slow wound healing (Anez-Bustillos et al., 2018), and a weakened immune system (Goodwin & Gunnars, n.d.).
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5840041/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5315033/#!po=1.72414 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5840041/ https://www.healthline.com/health/fat-deficiency https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/1999/05/2753.html
Claim: And in 1977, the diet heart hypothesis went public when the McGovern report urged Americans to swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats like vegetable oils (Select Committee on Human on Nutrition and Human Needs, United States Senate, 1977) in the interest of their health
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3910043/
Claim: But even at this time, many scientists were skeptical (Astrup, 2021, 4).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32562735/
Claim: In 2016, researchers uncovered not one but two large studies on saturated fat and unsaturated fat and their effects on cholesterol and disease from the late sixties and early seventies (Ramsden, 2016) that should have been available to McGovern at the time of these guidelines, but were never fully reported.
Sources: https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1246
Claim: It wasn’t until Franz passed away and the entirety of the Minnesota Corn Experiment data was uncovered in a box in his basement that we learned the truth (Begley, 2017).
Claim: Some of these trials also noted a worrisome increase in the risk of cancer for those consuming seed oils. Even the American College of Cardiology concluded that whole fat, dairy, unprocessed meat and dark chocolate are saturated fatty acid rich foods with a complex matrix that are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The totality of the available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods(Astrup, 2020).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32562735/
Claim: In 2020, the ninth edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released and recommended saturated fats should not make up more than 10% of one’s total calories (USDA, 2020).
Claim: A group of nutrition scientists, two of whom served on a prior Dietary Guidelines Committee, wrote a letter to the USDA in an effort to draw attention to the lack of evidence supporting the limiting of saturated fat. They wrote, There is no evidence that current population wide, arbitrary upper limits on commonly consumed saturated fats in the United States will prevent cardiovascular disease or reduce mortality (Regulations.gov, 2020).
Sources: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FNS-2019-0001-42017
Claim: the most influential report suggesting red meat causes cancer was written by the World Health Organization, where they deemed fresh meat a possible carcinogen and processed meat a probable carcinogen (Bouvard et al., 2015).
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1
Claim: But what most people don’t realize is these meats fall into risk categories alongside air, leather, dust, hot beverages and sitting near a sunny window.In 2015, the World Health Organization acknowledged that eating unprocessed red meat has not yet been established as a cause of cancer (Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the Consumption of Red Meat and Processed Meat, 2015).
Source: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf https://monographs.iarc.who.int/agents-classified-by-the-iarc/
Claim: For example, a 2010 review of studies examining the link between red meat and cancer noted a very weak association between red meat consumption and cancer and a lack of a dose dependent response (Alexander & Cushing, 2011), meaning more meat did not equal a greater risk, which is reason to question the association.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20663065/
Claim: Data from the Women’s Health Study showed that the more red meat women consumed, the lower their risk of colon cancer ( (Lin et al., 2004)).
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8504498/
Claim: A 2022 analysis of USDA data revealed that over the last 100 to 200 years, red meat consumption has declined by 21%. Fluid and cream dairy has declined by 48%, and lard consumption has declined by 78% (Lee et al., 2022).
According to this report? Margarine consumption has increased by 192%. Shortening has increased by 91%. Cooking oils has increased by 329%. Artificial sweeteners increased by 1,227%. Grain availability also increased by 41%, and overall calories increased by 18% (Lee et al., 2022).
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.748847/full?s=09
Claim: Remember Arctic Explorer Dr. Stefansson? After one year long experiment, doctors observed neither high blood pressure nor kidney trouble. Two of the biggest fears around meat at that time. On top of that, Stefansson described having more vigor and ambition on his meat focused diet (Henighan, 2009).
Sources: https://books.google.com/books?id=6WgecW9Ho_IC&dq=he+took+issue+with+the+medical+dogma
Claim: He reportedly stuck to a diet of meat and fat, and some said he could be seen at dinner parties eating nothing but butter on a spoon. He lived to be 82 (Ostenso, 2022),
Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vilhjalmur-Stefansson
Claim: Sylvain Le Weinberg, former president of the American College of Cardiology, stated The low fat, high carbohydrate diet may well have played an unintended role in the current epidemics of obesity, lipid abnormalities, type two diabetes and metabolic syndrome (Weinberg, 2004).
Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109703016310