More Against Red And Processed Meat

By 4028mdk09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25399566

Is enhanced mortality associated more with red meat/processed meat consumption or with saturated fatty acid (SFA) consumption?  Is it the meat or the saturated fats?  A recent study says meat:

Among highly educated persons, aged >45 years, a high consumption of red, total, and red + processed meat was related to increased all-cause mortality, compared with those with low consumption, whereas no significant associations were found for SFA intake. Dietary guidelines should specifically limit meat consumption and not relying only in limiting SFA intake.

And:

…replacing 100 g of vegetables, fruits & nuts or cereals by 100 g of red meat resulted in higher mortality risk.

For older individuals eating more meat, there was some effect of more SFA consumption:

In these participants, SFA intake was non-significantly associated with mortality. However, isocaloric replacement of monounsaturated fat or carbohydrates by SFA resulted in significantly higher mortality risk. 

But overall this particular study provides data pointing the finger at red meat/processed meat.  Given the consistency of this finding with that of previous studies, it looks for now that excessive consumption of red meat/processed meat is a major dietary health risk.  Looking at all studies, SFA risk is more equivocal; this study does not show, overall, a significant risk, but other studies have showed such a risk.

Limiting red meat/processed meat consumption would seem to be a prudent dietary priority.  Limiting SFA may be a good idea as well, depending upon context and whatever other dietary recommendations a person has from their physician, etc., but the meat situation would seem more important at this point.  Who knows what further studies will say about SFA.

Replacing Trans Fats With Something That May Be Just As Bad

Beans, cucumber salad, mushrooms, and eggplant-tomato spread: none of them have IFs, especially if you cook them at home!

The following information is from
Trust the food industry to do the wrong thing:

"Ever since the FDA banned trans fats in June 2015, food manufacturers have been busy training a replacement. 

Just when you think the stuff that bullies your belly was finally kicked out of the game, its just-as-mean teammate gets put in. Conditioned to perform just like its predecessor, Interesterified Fat (IF) appears to be just as lethal. Plus: IF is super-sneaky, essentially flying under the radar and making it easier to be put into your food. It will wreak havoc on your body, just like the trans fats we’ve all been fighting. That’s super frustrating, since there’s a reason it’s one of the 40 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet! 

IF is a fusion of fats; molecules in naturally-occurring fats are rearranged to create a more shelf-stable model. (Sounds familiar…) These fats include stearic acid, a naturally-occurring saturated fat and vegetable oils, AKA soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, etc. 

Not much is known about IF—but what is known only confirms that this guy has trained under TF and has adapted his rotten ways. In fact, studies showed that when humans consumed IF, there was an increase in bad cholesterol and a decrease in good. And another study showed that female rodents that ingested this man-made fat had male offspring that were predisposed to diabetes."

Actionable

What should we do?

• The solution to this and similar problems is to end food industry lobbying, break the power of the food industry, and at the same time, educate the consumer. 

• If additives such as the IFs (described above) are hidden from the label, the safest approach is to avoid all processed foods (which is easier said, than done). Learning how to cook meals that are safe and healthy for yourself and your family should be a priority.

How to wean yourself from processed foods

Here is one good advice on how to switch to better food, the food that your great-grandma would have recognized as edible:

Start reading the labels on your food. If the ingredients you find listed there don’t make you lose your appetite, good for you. I find the more I read labels, the less likely I am to buy anything but real, whole food like fresh fruits and veggies.

STOP HAZING US WITH CONFUSING MESSAGES

Why cannot researchers get it right, and stop quibbling about facts and knowledge that destroy our health and kill thousands of people every day? Why cannot our politicians publicize and support the unequivocal and true knowledge that we already have?

Here is one study that provides evidence that added sugar in our diet is the worst we can do to ourselves. And here is another study that assures us that “soda and sweets aren’t making Americans fat”. True, this second study mentions that the portion size and physical exercise should be considered when controlling body weight; however, it somehow gives us green light to indulge on “junk food”. Is it wise to publicize such studies, or even perform such studies? And whom are we kidding when we write about these findings? In times when people give the maximum of a few seconds per article, the only take home message would be the title, and the titles re-assure us that “Junk Food Isn't To Blame for America's Obesity Epidemic”, “Soda and junk foods are not making you fat, study says“, and “Fast Food, Soft Drink, and Candy Intake is Unrelated to Body Mass Index for 95% of American Adults”. The conclusion that how much we eat/exercise counts is swept into the darkest corner of our mind (and the publications).
Actionable
Recently, CDC reported a significant decrease in the number of smokers in the U.S. This spectacular result is due to a successful approach that CDC should re-apply to processed foods and sugar. Dear CDC, please, label all of these products with the following:

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Excess of processed foods can cause cancer

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Processed foods are not a safe alternative to real food (real food is something that your great-grandma would have recognized as edible)

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Processed foods and sugar increase your risk of multiple chronic diseases

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Sugar intake leads to diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Consuming processed foods and sugar will result in your children having a shorter life than yours

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: This product contains/produces chemicals known to increase the risk of neurological diseases

• SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Sugar is addictive

Furthermore, dear government, impose taxes on sugar
... and remember that messing with the minds of people will lead  to disastrous results. Please, unite behind a consistent message, and clean up the supermarket shelves from toxic materials or at least, label these properly.