The American Heart Association diet guarantees you get heart disease!

2. October 2006 William Davis (1)
Perhaps I stated that too strongly.

But the fact remains: the diet advocated by the American Heart Association is awful. The foods endorsed by their approach have no place on a list of healthy foods. Yes, you will find vegetables and fruits, etc.. But you will also find that the 2006 American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations dance around the issue of what foods to avoid. There's no explicit mention of how, for instance, common foods like Shredded Wheat cereal, ketchup, low-fat salad dressings, etc, among thousands of others, should be avoided.

No matter how you time your meals, mix them, combine proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, etc., you simply cannot squeeze health out of products like breakfast cereals, instant mashed potatoes, dried soup mixes, wheat crackers, etc. Yet these are the sorts of foods that are implicitly allowable in the Heart Association's diet program.

You can obtain a little insight into the motivations behind the diet design by looking at the Heart Association's Annual Report list of major supporters:

--ACH Food Companies--maker of Mazola margarine and corn oil. A contributor of between $500,000 and $999,000 to the Heart Association.

--ConAgra Foods--You know them as Chef BoyArdee, Peter Pan peanut butter, Kid Cuisine (pizza, macaroni and cheese). ConAgra contributed between $500,000 and $999,000 to the Heart Association.

--Archer Daniels Midland--Huge worldwide supplier of wheat flours, high-fructose corn syrup, and basic ingredients for manufacture of soft drinks, candies, and baked foods. ADM contributed between $1-4.9 million dollars to the American Heart Association.

Of course, the Heart Association provides many hugely positive services like funding research. But, on many official statements, you need to read between the lines. The Heart Association is funded by industry: medical device makers, drug makers, food manufacturers. Yes, some is contributed in the interest of health. But you can be sure that lots of money is also contributed in the hope of protecting specific commercial interests. Many of those decisions are made behind closed doors or on the golf course.

Be skeptical. Just because the Heart Association diet is a Casper Milquetoast version of a health program, it does not mean that you have to subscribe to their watered-down, politically correct, and downright useless nutrition recommendations.
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  • jpatti

    9/12/2007 5:08:00 PM |

    I'm not very familiar with the AHA, but they sound just like the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

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Is your doctor a hospital employee?

Is your doctor a hospital employee?

21. May 2006 William Davis (0)
There's a disturbing trend that's growing--silently but rapidly.

In Milwaukee, three hospital systems compete for the local health care dollar. To gain more control over revenues and the routing of patients, the hospitals are aggressively hiring physicians to work for them. I've witnessed many of my cardiology colleagues, primary care doctors, and a substantial number of procedural specialists enticed by the offers made by hospital employers.

This phenomenon is not unique to Milwaukee but is being used in many, perhaps most, major cities in the U.S.

This means that physicians are employees of the hospital. That way, employee-physicians are obliged to use only the hospital system that employs them. In the old days, your doctor could use any hospital he/she desired, depending on the quality, location, facilities, etc. Now, many physician-employees are given no choice but to use the hospital that pays their salary.

That by itself is not necessarily bad. But combine salary with incentives for bringing in patients for hospitalization and procedures--that the rub. In other words, physician-employees are incentivized to generate more revenue for the system, just as employees in many other industries.

If you're a salesman for an insurance company, your job is to bring in more business. If you're a worker on an auto production line, you're expected to meet certain quotas. These same principles are now being applied to many physicians.

How does this affect you? Well, if your physician--especially procedure-driven specialists like cardiologists, general surgeons, orthopedists, etc.--is a hospital employee, BEWARE! Do you really need that procedure, or is your doctor suggesting you have a procedure because it will add to his track record?

Prevention? In this model of health care, why bother? It certainly doesn't pay for a hospital to keep you well. Then why should your physician-employee?

Be careful who you're dealing with. If your physician is a hospital-employee, don't bet on getting preventive care. It's more likely you're that just a future source of revenue when it's time for your bypass operation, hip replacement, carotid endarterectomy, etc.

What more powerful argument is there for increased self-empowerment and information for health care consumers?
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American Diabetes Association

American Diabetes Association

18. May 2008 William Davis (6)

These are actual quotes from the American Diabetes Association website:


Myth #2 (from list of Diabetes Myths): People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate.
If eaten as part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes. They are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes, than they are to people without diabetes.



Myth #5: If you have diabetes, you should only eat small amounts of starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes and pasta.
Starchy foods are part of a healthy meal plan. What is important is the portion size. Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, peas and corn can be included in your meals and snacks. The key is portions. For most people with diabetes, having 3-4 servings of carbohydrate-containing foods is about right. Whole grain starchy foods are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your gut healthy.





How can I have sweets and still keep my blood glucose on target?
The key to keeping your blood glucose on target is to substitute small portions of sweets for other carb-containing foods in your meals and snacks. Carb-containing foods include bread, tortillas, rice, crackers, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt, potatoes, corn, and peas. For many people, having about 45 to 60 grams at meals is about right. Serving sizes make a difference. To include sweets in your meal, you can cut back on the other carb foods at the same meal.

For example, you’d like to have cookies with your lunch. Your lunch is a turkey sandwich with two slices of bread. Your first step is to identify the carb foods in your meal. Bread is a carb. You decide to swap two slices of bread for two slices of low-calorie bread and have the cookies -- it’s an even trade. Your total amount of carbohydrate remains the same for the meal.



Can I eat foods with sugar in them?
For almost every person with diabetes, the answer is yes! Eating a piece of cake made with sugar will raise your blood glucose level. So will eating corn on the cob, a tomato sandwich, or lima beans. The truth is that sugar has gotten a bad reputation. People with diabetes can and do eat sugar. In your body, it becomes glucose, but so do the other foods mentioned above. With sugary foods, the rule is moderation. Eat too much, and 1) you'll send your blood glucose level up higher than you expected; 2) you'll fill up but without the nutrients that come with vegetables and grains; and 3) you'll gain weight. So, don't pass up a slice of birthday cake. Instead, eat a little less bread or potato, and replace it with the cake. Taking a brisk walk to burn some calories is also always helpful.


Or take a look at the recipes for breads, muffins, cakes, pies, cookies, and pizza.


My point? As I often say, while the "official" organizations like the American Diabetes Association, the American heart Association, and the USDA dominate the message provided to mainstream Americans, to those of us who know better, they have become irrelevant. You can see how obviously boneheaded their advice is. I'd go so far as to say that, if you want diabetes, follow the American Diabetes Association diet. If you have diabetes, and you'd like to accelerate complications like kidney disease, heart disease, and neuropathy, then follow the American Diabetes Association diet.

I'm going to bet that American Diabetes Association sponsors like Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Pfizer, Abbott ($1 million or more annual contributions) and Cadbury Schweppes (3-year, multi-million dollar support for Weight Loss Matters program) will continue to charge full-speed ahead to maintain the status quo. Cadbury Schweppes are the proud makers of Dr. Pepper, Hawaiian Punch, Snapple, Motts' Apple Juice, and Hires Root Beer--you know, the foods and drinks that you can have as long as you adjust your insulin dose or talk to your doctor about adjusting your diabetes medications. And if you gain, say, 30 or 40 lbs eating these foods. . . well, we've got a treatment for that. Merck's Januvia , for instance, can help you out for only about $200 a month!

Looking at the facts this way, and it seems like some cheap conspiracy theory: They're all out to get us. Dispense information that virtually guarantees propagation of the disease, and all your friends and cronies profit. I don't know if it is or it isn't, but it sure smells like it sometimes.
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Comments (6) -

  • Anonymous

    5/18/2008 11:07:00 AM |

    I used to donate to some of the listed groups.  A week didn't go by without receiving a solicitation to give money for a "good cause".  Often I would give a little.  A few times a neighbor lady personally sent to me an AHA donation form.  She knew my grandfather, and knew he battled heart disease for many years.  

    After reading your blog, and am now a follow of the TYP program, I no longer donate to the groups.  I've learned they are part of the problem.  Last time the neighbor sent forms I went to see her personally on why I will no longer being donating.  She tried to convince me other wise.  Hopefully  she reads your blog now, and has a better understanding on why I feel the way I do.

  • Nyn

    5/18/2008 2:24:00 PM |

    I am shocked at this. I guess I shouldn't be, but wow. I grew up with a Type I diabetic mother, and throughout my childhood, I remember her struggling with her blood sugar and diet. She minimized sugar as much as possible, and while yes she could eat starches, she felt best, had best results, and kept her weight moderated only when she severely lowered them. This information goes against everything I ever heard her deal with, as well as all the other diabetic info I've come across. Are they trying to get on the 'it's not so bad to have a chronic condition' bandwagon, or truly sell more wheat? The more I read your blog and other literature about the food/medical 'establishment', the more fed-up I'm getting. Is this kind of nonsense going on in other countries? Are their health and drug associations misleading them too?

  • Stan

    5/18/2008 3:15:00 PM |

    Quote:  "The key to keeping your blood glucose on target is to substitute small portions of sweets for other carb-containing foods..."

    This is in my humble opinion akin to telling an alcoholic to drink smaller shots of vodka more often!

    Every time you take or even look at a small portion of food, our brain causes some insulin release preceeding a digestion therefore for people who are prediabetic or diabetic (type 2) eating more frequenltly may initially boost the insulin release (somewhat) through this effect which may improve blood glucose control, but eventually it will only exacerbate the whole problem.  The problem is the insulin resistance and the resulting hyperinsulinemia which will continue getting worse over time on the AHA and ADA diets!

      Boosting one's insulin release through frequent eating will help maintaining a better blood glucose control but will lead to higher serum insulin and therefore higher risk of developing diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.  

    ADA should change their name to American Diabetes Promotion Assoc.

    Stan (Heretic)

  • Anna

    5/18/2008 7:01:00 PM |

    When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a decade ago, I was initially given the ADA's exchange system to follow, which resulted in higher BG readings than on my own regular diet.  One reason, I discovered, was that one slice of my usual "whole grain" flour bread was very dense, and weighed more (more carbs, too) than the airy, white flour bread the ADA assumes everyone eats.  So I switched to weighing food and carb counting for better BG results.  Eventually it was just easier for me  to manage my BG just by dropping the sugar and starches altogether (a two oz portion of pasta is about 14 penne - by the time I ate two penne pcs to test for doneness, the remaining portion looked so frustratingly small I figured why bother?).

    Now officially being diagnosed pre-diabetic (though my labs are fairly normal if I stick to LC), I get a lot of cr*p in the mail about how to manage diabetes from my insurance co and the ADA (always with a donation solicitation).  Most of it goes right into the recycling bin.

    It was in the newspaper, though, that I read an ADA spokesperson's comment that stuck in my head, that it wasn't "fair" to make people with diabetes avoid sugars and their favorite starchy foods - that those "treats" should be available as they are to everyone else!  Fair???  What's "fair" got to do with it?  To quote my mother, "nobody ever said life was fair!" - one of the most valuable notions she ever drilled into my head.   What's *fair* about cr*ppy dietary advice that allows/causes diabetic complications too numerous to mention, quality of life deterioration, and painful misery that can last decades, especially when they can be avoided or dramatically slowed/reduced simply by restricting sugars and starches to a minimum?  *Fair*, that would be funny, if wasn't so deadly serious.

  • Sarah

    5/24/2008 3:28:00 AM |

    I'm diabetic with a current A1c of 5.2%. A good number that I achieved and maintain by doing everything the American Diabetic Association says not to do. I do not eat sugar. I keep my daily carb intake around 40-50 grams. I get 95% of those carbs from non-starchy vegetables and a limited amount of fruit (berries). I don't eat grains, period. And I test my blood glucose often and carefully and totally ignore the insane "tight control" parameters promoted by the ADA.

    The ADA is not the friend of the diabetic. Jenny Ruhl had a terrific idea: diabetics should organize and "threaten" legal action against the ADA for its treatment guidelines that are killing and maiming thousands upon thousands of diabetics.

    Keep up the great blog. I enjoy reading it and have taken away good information, as well as ammunition.

  • jpatti

    6/4/2008 4:52:00 PM |

    I've told this story many times before, but...

    I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes while a PhD candidate in biochemistry 20 years ago.  The doctor gave me the ADA pamphlet about what to eat.  One day, I ran across a veterinary pamphlet about treating animals with diabetes and it was diametrically opposed to the ADA pamphlet, which made me curious enough to go into the research library to find out WHY humans were different from every other animal.

    I read research about how various foods affected normal people, T1s and T2 diabetics and saw the bg profiles for meals consisting of carb, protein and fat and various combinations.  I saw the veterinarians were right and briefly considered seeing a vet for my bg control, but decided I'd just manage it on my own.  

    I had no idea why the ADA was so far off base, but... a few months later, I saw a newspaper article covering an ADA press release.  The ADA had admitted that starch was equivalent to sugar, which as a biochemist, I already knew and was a bit surprised they'd just figured that out!  Starch is just a polymer of glucose, any biochemistry textbook shows you that.  

    But... the article went on to say that since this was so, the ADA was changing it's recommendations to allow diabetics to eat sugar.

    WTF?!??!

    At that point, I decided the ADA was hopelessly stupid and I've never paid any attention to them since.  

    I see from this blog post that they're still  saying this today.  Bunch of morons.

    NO ONE has to follow the ADA today.  

    You don't have to have access to a research library to learn about diabetes on your own, we've got PubMed and such sources online today.  

    And if you don't "speak" research, you can read Jenny's site which does a wonderful job of translating for laymen what the current research actually shows:  http://www.bloodsugar101.com/

    But there's even a better tool today than research in using our own glucometers to see *exactly* how specific foods effect each of us rather than relying on research.  Everyone, no matter how educated or uneducated, can find this out for themselves by testing with a Walmart or Walgreens generic meter bought for under $10.  

    IMO, that doesn't just apply to diabetics, but also those with metabolic syndrome and other forms of prediabetes or reactive hypoglycemia.  You can take control of your bg right *now* at home without the need for a doctor or any ability to follow the research.  

    The most important info for controlling your bg is NOT from the ADA, but this post about testing for yourself: http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

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Why do skinny people get heart disease?

Why do skinny people get heart disease?

13. June 2008 William Davis (9)
There's no doubt about it: The majority of people with heart disease are overweight. They may not be grotesquely overweight, just a few pounds over. But weight plays a crucial role in activating numerous factors that heighten risk for heart disease.

Excess weight reduces HDL cholesterol, raises triglycerides, increases small LDL (enormously), fans the fires of inflammatory responses (CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha, etc.) raises blood pressure, increases resistance to insulin and raises blood sugar. Overweight people tend to be less physically active, may develop diseases of obesity like sleep apnea, and on and on. You've heard this all before.

But why do slender people develop heart disease? If we can't blame weight, what is to blame? By slender, I mean body mass index (BMI) of <25. (Yes, I know there are other ways, better ways, to gauge healthy weight. But, for simplicity, I'll use BMI.) Let's put aside the two obvious causes of heart disease, cigarette smoking and Type I diabetes. (I'd be shocked if any cigarette smokers read this blog.)

Slender people develop heart disease because:

1) They have lipoprotein(a)--The big, big neglected risk factor. In fact, the Lp(a) genotype is, in my casual observation, associated with a slender phenotype (genotypic expression). The prototypical example that makes headlines is the marathon runner--slender and superbly fit, but develops heart disease anyway. People wax on about the uncertainties of exercise and fitness when they hear about Jim Fixx and Alberto Salazar. But one factor would explain it all: Lp(a).

2) The murky category of the normal weight obesity. These people are generally recognizable by their flaccid tummies despite falling into a favorable BMI <25. Small LDL is the standout red flag in these people.

3) They were previously overweight but lost it.

4) They were former smokers.

5) Vitamin D deficiency--Deficiency of vitamin D is important for everyone's health. But there appears to be some people for whom it is the dominant risk. I believe that one of our great Track Your Plaque success stories, Neal, falls into this group. Some people who are vitamin D deficient develop colon cancer, others develop diabetes, others develop osteoporosis or multiple sclerosis, while others develop coronary heart disease and plaque. The likely reason for the varied expression is variation in vitamin D receptor genotypes (VDR genotypes).

6) The murkiest of all: Hypertension genotypic variants. This is a poorly sorted-out category, and one principally based on my observations along with scattered observations in such things as variations in the angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes. But I am convinced that there is a small percentage of slender people who show variation in some genetic type that predisposes to hypertension and heart disease. They also show a propensity towards enlargement of the thoracic aorta. This group is also among the most difficult to control in the Track Your Plaque approach, i.e., they have difficulty slowing or stopping the growth of heart scan scores. While blood pressure control in this group is important, it does not seem to remove the excess source of risk.

So, yes, being slender does put you into a lower risk for heart disease category. But it does not mean you are immune.

You can also be an overweight person who still harbors some of the features of the slender--you're an overweight slender person. The above list can still therefore apply.
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Comments (9) -

  • Anonymous

    6/14/2008 9:53:00 AM |

    Believe it or not, there is a guy I work with that smokes that reads your blog with interest.  He takes the supplements recommended, but can't seem to bring himself to do any more of the TYP program.  

    The good news is that his wife appears to have stopped smoking, and she also follows the low carb diet - not easy for her since she works in a bakery - plus takes supplements.

  • Mike Turco

    6/14/2008 7:01:00 PM |

    Another smoker here... not bragging about it. As I've been reading your blog for some time I don't believe your comment was meant to exclude those who smoke. Maybe there are fat people reading too?

    Which kills more people: stress, smoking or obesity? If you could pick two out of three to eliminate, which and why?

    Just curious. Love your blog, by the way.

    Mike

  • Anonymous

    6/18/2008 8:32:00 PM |

    Very informative Doc.-- Thanks for writing this blog-- On "Vitamin D deficiency" that could lead to such thing as heart attack or diabetes; since i'm lactose intolerance and a sugar hater so i drink soy milk & mix 1-2 tbsp of honey into orange juice daily. Do you think it's enough to get some Ds for a woman in 30s? I don't like pills if i don't have to take it, including supplements. Any thoughts/ideas would be fine. Thanks for this blog again!

  • Anonymous

    6/21/2008 1:54:00 AM |

    I smoked years ago until one day I visited a friend in the hospital. In the next room was a hideously hacking and choking man -- obviously suffering severely. His sobbing young wife explained to me that he had lung cancer. It was a glimpse into hell.

    I never smoked another cigarette.

  • Dana Seilhan

    6/22/2008 6:25:00 PM |

    There was a study that came out in 2006 which debunked the "fat kills you" idea.  From what I can tell, it goes like this:  Fat by itself is just energy storage.  But fat is also a symptom of health problems that lead to diabetes.  This explains the correlation in SOME people between overweight and diabetes, and overweight and heart disease.  But excess fat in itself is not what kills you.  This is how you can be slender and still get diabetes or heart disease--it just happened that you didn't have the extra weight as a warning signal.

    If one is going to criticize a fat person or call them unhealthy it is important to do a health workup on that person first to see what's going on.  Your heart scan is a good idea;  so is a five-hour GTT with insulin levels.  The latter in particular is going to pick up glucose metabolism problems early.  Glucose metabolism problems seem to be what lead to everything else you mentioned.

    As for vitamin D I have to laugh every time I see someone fretting over where to get it.  Go out in the sun for fifteen minutes a couple times a week!  Bonus:  You can overdose on food and supplement sources of D, but you can't overdose on the kind you make from UV exposure.

  • Mike Turco

    6/25/2008 3:56:00 AM |

    Hi Dana,

    I am overweight too, actually, but I've lost a lot of weight and I'm getting towards where I want to be (low-carb, no wheat, etc.) I've struggled with my weight all my adult life. I didn't mean to say fat in a derogatory way, that is just the word that came out while I was typing. I sure didn't mean to hurt yours or anyone's feelings. Sorry.

    Mike

  • Anonymous

    3/2/2010 4:22:23 PM |

    Hi I'm a very slender person with a history of heart disease, colon issues ms and diabetes in my family (who are also slender).  I'm now entering middle age and trying to start getting a better lifestyle and cut out some of the bad foods I've been eating.

    I find this difficult because I have difficulty maintaining my body weight even with my bad diet.  It sounds like I should be really popping the vitamin D from my family history.  However do you have advice on how to eat a healthy HIGH calorie diet so that I do not lose weight?

  • Anonymous

    7/27/2010 5:04:30 PM |

    I am overweight and it isn't easy to lose the weight.  It's obvious that overweight people have a problem - addiction to food as with any other addiction such as drugs or alcohol, etc. Why isn't there more help for us overweight people?  My doctor keeps telling me to lose weight - and join weight watchers - I have but it's not helpful.  It's like telling a drug addict to stop taking drugs and letting them walk out the door and you're on your own.

  • Anonymous

    7/27/2010 5:04:53 PM |

    I am overweight and it isn't easy to lose the weight.  It's obvious that overweight people have a problem - addiction to food as with any other addiction such as drugs or alcohol, etc. Why isn't there more help for us overweight people?  My doctor keeps telling me to lose weight - and join weight watchers - I have but it's not helpful.  It's like telling a drug addict to stop taking drugs and letting them walk out the door and you're on your own.

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