The truth is that the experts out there do not really know what starts arteriosclerosis. But it seems to stem from damage to the arterial wall. Bad (or LDL) cholesterol does contribute to arterial plaque formation, but what is it that gets the process going? The answer: Inflammation. My studies have shown that clogged arteries are a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of the arteries that is promoted by LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. But, when it really comes down to it, the relationship between dietary fat and the onset of arteriosclerosis is a contentious area of medical concern.
Inflammation weakens the arterial wall, almost like an areterial ulcer and then, apparently, plaque/cholesterol attach themselves to the weakened area - like a wound they slip into as your blood flows through the artery. Can you picture that? So it appears that (and Naughton strongly presses this point in his film) the cause of arteriosclerosis is not too much saturated fat in the diet, but inflammation of the arterial walls. And he is almost right. The problem is that the cause of the inflammation is still up to debate and there is no way to know that the inflammation is there until the cholesterol starts attaching itself to the affected area! And we do know that the more plaque you have in the artery, the higher the possibility of blockage, i.e. heart attack. On ehow.com, in an article called "Inflammation & Heart Disease", it states, "Evidence suggests that inflammation is linked with arteriosclerosis, which is the term for the thickening of the artery walls due to accumulation of fatty substances, like cholesterol."
Mike Anderson, author of the Rave Diet, states that "the one thing an animal-based diet does is kill people. It does this by clogging arteries." He goes on to say that eating animal foods causes a fatty sludge to build up in your blood. HDL cholesterol takes care of some of it, but the excess settles in your arteries. And he is not wrong in his assertions. He goes as far as to state that "the requirement of cholesterol in our diet is exactly zero" and provides several testimonies of people who completely reversed the damage done to their hearts (after having had heart attacks) by following an extremely low-fat, and completely plant-based diet. I do not think he made up these claims. So what do we make of it?
It appears that our friend Mr Naughton is a very lucky man. His arteries obviously were not inflamed. Thus the success with his animal-based diet. The main problem I have with promoting it, however, is that if there is inflammation in your arteries, you won't know it until the cholesterol starts building up in it. Maybe some people are predisposed to inflammation due to lifestyle and heredity. I do know that there are steps you can take to avoid or reduce inflammation of your arteries - some dietary, some lifestyle. Tune in tomorrow for the skinny on following an Anti-Inflammatory Diet. It makes a lot of sense and neither school of thought would disagree with that! Then we'll examine some of the other claims made by our friends Mr. Naughton and Mr. Anderson. Again, the information may surprise you!
Until next time, happy and healthy eating!
The cause of inflammation is clearly shown in your picture! It looks like a high-fat sausage-flavored donut, with a chunk of (high carb) peanut brittle on it. THAT's the real culprit!
ReplyDeleteNot sure how to respond to that, Pugger, but thanks for reading the post and commenting! I do value feedback. That beautiful picture, by the way, is from one of my textbooks. Unless you know what you're looking at, it's about as clear as mud, isn't it?
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