Give up wheat?
Is Dr. Davis crazy when he insists that, for many people, getting control of their coronary artery disease (CAD) requires that wheat products be driven from their diets? That’s an extreme position on the proper heart healthy diet right? Isn’t an extreme position always a bad thing? Isn’t there always greater benefit in a “moderate” approach?
In 2002, Dr. Mehmet Oz guest-hosted a Charlie Rose Show segment about heart health and low fat vs. low carbohydrate diets. The participants in the discussion were Gary Taubes, a journalist, Dr. Dean Ornish, author of many books about diet and heart disease, and Dr. Barbara Howard of the American Heart Association.
There are a number of interesting things we might discuss about this broadcast. For now, I’d just like to call your attention to a point in the discussion where Dr. Howard inadvertently slips into telling the truth when trying to explain the American Heart Association’s stance on a heart healthy diet…
What I say is that we have to focus on moderation, that these kind of extreme discussions just confuse people more. There are no simple answers, there’s no magic bullet… and getting people to eat a balanced diet with a wide range of nutrients is the only thing that we all appear to agree upon. (see video beginning at about -21:45)
There you have it from a representative of the American Heart Association itself. The low carb approach that Dr. Davis recommends MUST be rejected as extreme because it’s not the approach that all the experts agree on. And, according to Dr. Howard, it’s the expert consensus per se that should guide our thinking and behavior.
So, follow my logic here… If the experts don’t agree (and they don’t) then we can’t really decide on the best heart healthy diet approach so she says we all need to follow a “moderate diet” until all the experts do agree.
But Dr. Davis’ approach has helped folks to reduce their coronary artery plaque you say? Well, how could that be a good thing if all the experts at the American Heart Association don’t agree with it?
By definition, Dr. Davis is extreme and a crank. What about his patients’ real life coronary artery plaque reduction results? Sorry, that can’t really count unless it’s taken place through a diet that’s consistent with the guidelines of the American Heart Association…
Now, this broadcast discussion had been provoked by an article written by Taubes, who had written an article for the New York Time Magazine entitled What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?. The lead for that article had been deliberately provocative…
If the members of the American medical establishment were to have a collective find-yourself-standing-naked-in-Times-Square-type nightmare, this might be it. They spend 30 years ridiculing Robert Atkins, author of the phenomenally-best-selling ”Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution” and ”Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution,” accusing the Manhattan doctor of quackery and fraud, only to discover that the unrepentant Atkins was right all along. Or maybe it’s this: they find that their very own dietary recommendations — eat less fat and more carbohydrates — are the cause of the rampaging epidemic of obesity in America. Or, just possibly this: they find out both of the above are true.
Since the time of that article and the Charlie Rose Show segment, Gary Taubes has published a new book entitled Good Calories, Bad Calories. I don’t think his appearance in this video is a particularly strong one. His new book is a must read. At some point, I’ll get around to writing a few posts about it.
What I’d love to see is a debate between doc Davis and Taubes on one side and then Dr. Ornish and any person of his choosing on the other. Now THAT would be a debate.
November 29th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
I agree with your assessment of Taubes’ appearance but I think he was worse when he did CNN recently. He writes eloquently but his public appearances leave a lot to be desired. Unless he just likes to inflame people purposely.
BTW. Just discovered your website via Jimmy Moore’s. Have you touched on the fact that many believe heart disease is now thought to be caused by inflammation and not related to cholesterol?
Also, check out this article about MPO and possibly its ability to warn of heart disease as much as a decade in advance: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172506.htm
November 30th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
You might want to read Gary Taubes new book, it sure is an eye-opener!
“Good Calories, Bad Calories”
November 30th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Also, Gary’s message is pretty complex and it doesn’t come across in a panel discussion (or gladitorial setting) at all. There are some other Taubes interviews that are much better.
http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/media/2007-2008/mp3/qq-2007-11-17.mp3
(CBC broadcast)
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200711024
(NPR — Be sure to click on the listen button)
But nothing beats the book. You’ll be fired up hopping mad.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:23 am
MAC and Nancy:
Thanks for the great links!
December 16th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
“What I’d love to see is a debate between doc Davis and Taubes on one side and then Dr. Ornish and any person of his choosing on the other. Now THAT would be a debate.”
Ornish and Oz! LOL That, I’d like to see.
I think Gary Taubes is better one on one, like he was on Good Morning America. He’s too soft spoken….especially against Ornish, Oz et all.