Saturday, March 26, 2011

The Spam that keeps on giving

The Eat Right America people have been emailing me everyday about 2pm to let me know that I should start their vegan-wanna-be diet. I wasn't going to write any more about this, but as I was browsing their site, I just had to talk about what they say about diabetes.

"When we have more fat on the body, more insulin is required to deliver glucose to the cells as the coating of fat around them makes it difficult for the hormone insulin to transport the glucose into the cells." (emphasis mine)

Coating of fat around the cells makes it difficult for insulin to work? Wow. These people should contact all those biochemists who have struggled to find a concrete and indisputable reason for insulin resistance and let them know this. They also might want to let them know that fat people have their cells bathed in fat too. The year 1920 called. It wants it's understanding of biochemistry back.

There's only one problem with their crappy logic, besides the fact that it has nothing to do with biochemistry. Obese people are not the only ones who are insulin resistant, as type 2 diabetes strikes normal weight individuals as well. In fact, it seems that the inability to become fat might cause type 2 diabetes in normal weight individuals, as in the case of Pima men.

"Even five pounds of excess fat on one’s frame can inhibit the ability of insulin to carry glucose into our cells. Twenty pounds of extra fat and the pancreas may be forced to produce twice as much insulin to do the necessary job."

Citation? Really? I call shenanigans.
"The vast majority of diabetics who adopt a high-nutrient diet [as in their vegan diet] and exercise regularly become thin and non–diabetic. They are able to gradually discontinue their insulin and eventually other medications. They simply get well."

Pictures, or it didn't happen. I'd like to know who they're talking about. I really like how they have absolutely no citations whatsoever to any study anywhere.

And then I clicked on the Heart Disease tab.
"There is irrefutable scientific evidence that high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). " (emphasis mine)

Liars. But we knew that.
"It has become increasingly evident that the direct relationship of cholesterol level to risk of heart attack exists at all but the very lowest cholesterol levels."

Yeah, people with very low cholesterol die of suicide and are violent, and if that doesn't' kill them they have a much higher incidence of cancer. Read Dr. Uffe Ravnskov.
"The new recommendations of medical authorities are to maintain your LDL cholesterol below 100. Less than 10% of the adult population in America actually has the cholesterol levels that meet these newest recommendations."

That's because they've lowered the recommendation because big Pharma wants us all on statins.

I'm kinda annoyed that they keep emailing me. I suppose that I could remove myself from their mailing list, but then I wouldn't have stupidity-in-my-inbox to write about. I'd have to go looking for articles at that point!

3 comments:

  1. Some big nasty paleo inclined lawyer needs to threaten them with a lawsuit. Then of course they will just add convenient disclaimers to the bottom of their pages in very small print.

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  2. I notice on their contact page, they refer to the Whole Foods Market. Last time I went to Whole Foods I was looking for nutrient-dense whole fat greek yogurt. All they carry is the low- or non-fat type. So much for nutrient-dense.

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  3. @Ed, typical. Of course the low-fat crap has HFCS added to it I'm sure. I've decided that Whole Foods is pretty much just a farce. They have a facade that they want to maintain so they can charge a premium price for their merchandise. We're pretty lucky in that one of the local grocery stores near us, HEB, carries the whole fat greek yogurt. The mum-in-law buys it as a starter for making homemade yogurt.

    @Grandma, that'd be the day. What I want to know is, do disclaimers protect you from damages if you kill people? Methinks in the United States anyway, the answer is no. If some lady can sue McDonald's for spilling hot coffee on herself, the first person who's toddler dies because they followed their stupid eating plan should sue. Won't bring the child back, but it might bring attention to the fact that vegan diets are not suitable for infants or toddlers or anyone else who likes to maintain their brain function.

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