AHA Recommends Statins, Not Heart Healthy Foods

A lot of what the American Heart Association (AHA) does is not for the benefit of heart patients. The AHA must be raking in the money from statin manufacturers to keep promoting statins in the manner they do.

Apparently, our good heart doctors do not realize they are doing more harm than good with the advice they are giving out. The AHA has outdated dietary guidelines that are hurting the health of Americans'. In a May 2014 article in the Wall Street Journal, the notion that saturated fats and LDL clog our arteries came from a “derailment” of nutrition policy “by a mixture of personal ambition, bad science, politics, and bias.”

In addition, the AHA’s dietary guidelines are also centered on the notion that “bad” cholesterol causes heart disease, and that since saturated fat may raise “bad” cholesterol levels, it’s the ultimate dietary evildoer. Not only has this bad/good cholesterol dichotomy, (the AHA’s “logic”) been solidly debunked by study after study—it was never proven in the first place. It is a shame of the AHA that they cannot admit their error, but don't count on this becoming a reality.

Below are just a few of the items outlining the AHA's false logic:

“Reduce saturated fat!” Apparently, the AHA never heard of moderation. Raw, organic butter from grass-fed cows can be extremely healthful: it contains vitamin A in its most bioavailable form, lauric acid, antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin K2. But the alternatives to butter—margarine and hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils—are far more detrimental to your health than saturated fat. They are actually a leading cause of heart disease.

“Drink low-fat and skim milk!” A recent study has shown that children who drink whole milk are slimmer than kids who drink skim! One theory for this is that “full fat foods” promote satiety. In addition, full-fat dairy can actually reduce your risk of heart disease, as well as diabetes and cancer.

“Avoid ‘bad’ cholesterol!” This has been debunked as well. Studies show that lower levels of LDL don’t necessarily lessen your risk of heart disease. One book to read is by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick and titled the Great Cholesterol Con.

“Limit Your Intake of Red Meat!” Again, moderation should be your guide and not what the AHA says. Even my own heart doctor insists that I eliminate red meat and eat more fish and chicken. I happen to like both, but even then, I still like my red meat,  It was not difficult to eliminate the highly process meats like hot dogs and some sandwich meats.

Red meat is an excellent source of protein and other nutrients. Among other nutrients, it contains L-carnitine, an amino acid that is helpful for heart disease. A large meta-analysis, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that L-carnitine actually helps heal the heart after a myocardial infarction (heart attack). The AHA hardheads won't even acknowledge this.