On Mon, 5 Jan 1998, EJCDC wrote:

> One of the primary causes of high Lp(a) is hydrogenated or partially
> hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats).  One of the best dietary treatments,
> ironically, is saturated fats (see: Journal of the American College of
> Nutrition, vol. 15, no.4, pp.325-339, 1996).  Atkins also recommends
> supplements (anti-oxidants) particularly Vit. C.  This is based on research by
> Linus Pauling and Mathias Rath, MD (see:  Proceedings of the National Academy
> of Sciences, vol.7, no.16, pp. 620-47, 1990).

It makes sense that saturated fats would gradually replace the
trans fats.  It's also interesting that some conservative medical
authorities say that high doses of vitamin C give a "falsely" low
cholesterol reading.  That is, they have the view that a low
intake of C is more "natural" and so the cholesterol reduction
brought about by high doses of C is somehow not "real" --
anything rather that concede that Pauling might have been right.

> I don't know what the estimates of Vit. C intake is with paleolithic period
> diets.  I believe Westin Price, DDS in "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration"
> estimated the Inuit consumed approx. 2-3 grams of ascorbate acid.  They
> obtained this quanity from consuming internal organs of sea mammals.
> Supplementing Vit. C may be necessary , considering that humans do not produce
> their own Vit. C.

And I believe that our loss of the ability to produce C is a
relatively recent development: 50,000 years ago or so, but I'd
need to check on that.  Can't seem to remember where I read it.

There seems to be a real problem about the n6/n3 fatty acid ratio
in our diet, and the change in this ratio is one of the most
striking dietary changes of the twentieth century.  This change
includes not only the use of liquid vegetable oils but also the
composition of the fat of feedlot cattle, whose fat is now
virtually devoid of EPA, an important n3 fat.

Some people are claiming that the problems that we blame on
saturated fats should be blamed on these changes in the
polyunsaturated fat composition of our meats, as well as our
consumption of trans fats.  I suspect this is partially true, but
it also appears to be true that coconut oil, which is mostly
saturated, tends to worsen cholesterol profiles.  It could be
that the low levels of n3 fats make some of us less capable of
handling the saturated fats that we might otherwise have no
problem with.  If so, then what we think of as a sensitivity to
saturated fats might actually be a sensitity to inadequate n3
fats.

It is still interesting to me that in the 1928 experiment
Stefannson preferred lamb, while Andersen preferred beef.  I
don't know what animal husbandry was like in 1928 but I don't
think that would have been too early for the beef to have been
corn-fattened.  But even now sheep are more likely to be
grass-fed.  The experiment really begs to be repeated.

Todd Moody
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