Episode 71
Common Carnivore/Low-Carb Myths
Dietary Myths vs. Nutritional Science: Why the Mediterranean Diet Reigns Supreme
As an Athabascan physician and culinary medicine expert, I'm often amused by the dietary myths perpetuated online, particularly those championed by keto and carnivore diet enthusiasts. Today, let's debunk some of these myths—Inuit diets, Hong Kong longevity, Maasai heart health, and the so-called French paradox—and explain why decades of robust nutritional science firmly support the Mediterranean diet.
Myth 1: The Inuit Diet
Low-carb proponents love pointing to the traditional Inuit diet as evidence of the supposed superiority of carnivorous diets. Yes, Inuit diets are traditionally high in marine mammals like whales, seals, and fish, providing ample vitamin C from sources such as muktuk (whale skin and blubber) and seal liver. Yet, archaeological evidence clearly shows ancient Inuit mummies suffered from vascular disease, challenging the claim that their diet was protective (Fodor et al., 2014). Additionally, Inuit diets historically incorporated plant-based foods such as berries, seaweed, and tubers during summer months—a fact conveniently overlooked by keto advocates.
Myth 2: The Hong Kong Longevity Claim
Another popular keto narrative incorrectly attributes Hong Kong's impressive longevity statistics to high meat consumption. But research shows elderly individuals in Hong Kong typically eat less meat and adhere closely to diets resembling the Mediterranean style, rich in vegetables, seafood, and whole grains (Woo et al., 2001). Again, context is key—and frequently missing from keto claims.
Myth 3: Maasai Immunity to Heart Disease
The Maasai, often cited as proof that diets rich in saturated fats don't cause heart disease, actually demonstrate the opposite. Recent studies confirm significant atherosclerosis and cardiovascular issues among Maasai populations, underscoring that even "warrior" genetics don't provide immunity from saturated fat-related diseases (Mann et al., 1972).
Myth 4: The French Paradox
Ah, the French Paradox—the idea that French populations consume diets high in saturated fats yet experience low heart disease rates. The reality is simpler: the French eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, seafood, and emphasize portion control and mindful eating. France was initially included in the famous Seven Countries Study but was ultimately excluded due to funding constraints—not dietary irregularities (Kromhout et al., 2017). It's sensible eating, not paradoxical magic.
Solid Science: The Mediterranean Diet
Contrary to these dietary myths, extensive nutritional science consistently supports the Mediterranean diet. Two landmark studies illustrate this clearly:
- Seven Countries Study: Spanning 50 years and involving over 14,000 men, this research demonstrated clearly superior cardiovascular outcomes for individuals following Mediterranean-style diets rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil compared to higher-fat diets (Keys et al., 1986).
- EPIC Study: Following over half a million Europeans, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition showed that diets emphasizing plant foods and limiting red and processed meats significantly reduce cancer risks (Boffetta et al., 2010).
- Lyon Heart Study: Participants with existing heart disease significantly reduced their risk of a second heart attack by adopting Mediterranean dietary patterns—highlighting the diet's profound protective benefits (de Lorgeril et al., 1999).
Final Thoughts
Keto and carnivore diets might make enticing promises, but the science tells a different story. With over 70 years of rigorous research and more than 13,000 peer-reviewed publications, the Mediterranean diet remains the gold standard for long-term health and disease prevention.
In an era where powerful obesity treatments like ZepBound emerge, it's even more crucial that we align medical innovations with proven nutritional strategies to ensure long-term health for newly fit bodies.
Enjoy your meals, stay curious, and always leave room for dessert (occasionally)!
References:
- Fodor, J.G., et al. "The Inuit paradox and heart disease." Can J Cardiol. 2014.
- Woo, J., et al. "Dietary habits of elderly Hong Kong Chinese." Age Ageing. 2001.
- Mann, G.V., et al. "Cardiovascular disease in the Maasai." Am J Epidemiol. 1972.
- Kromhout, D., et al. "The Seven Countries Study: Overview." Eur J Epidemiol. 2017.
- Keys, A., et al. "The diet and 15-year death rate in the Seven Countries Study." Am J Epidemiol. 1986.
- Boffetta, P., et al. "EPIC study: Diet and cancer." Am J Clin Nutr. 2010.
- de Lorgeril, M., et al. "Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health." Circulation. 1999.
Transcript
>> Dr. Terry Simpson: Today we're going to debunk some popular keto and low
Speaker:carb misconceptions involving the Inuit diet,
Speaker:longevity claims about Hong Kong dietary myths surrounding the
Speaker:Maasai people, and unravel the French
Speaker:paradox, highlighting ultimately why the
Speaker:Mediterranean diet really deserves the crown.
Speaker:I am your Chief Medical Explanationist, Dr. Terri Simpson, and
Speaker:this is is Fork U Fork University,
Speaker:where we make sense of the madness, bust a few myths,
Speaker:and teach a little bit about food and medicine.
Speaker:From a cultural and medical perspective, the Inuit diet
Speaker:is as intriguing as it is
Speaker:misunderstood. Traditionally, it's carnivorous,
Speaker:featuring marine mammals like whales, seals and fish
Speaker:with a side of nothing green during the winter months.
Speaker:But come summer, Inuit diets traditionally get more
Speaker:adventurous, adding berries, seaweed and tubers
Speaker:to the menu. So much for the keto claims of pure
Speaker:carnivory. It turns out even the Inuit had a
Speaker:salad now and then. Ironically,
Speaker:despite vitamin C from marine
Speaker:delicacies like muktuk and seal liver,
Speaker:archaeological evidence from Inuit
Speaker:mummies reveal they still had vascular
Speaker:disease. Proof that whale sushi may not be the
Speaker:magical health potion some keto enthusiasts
Speaker:suggest. I've even heard that the
Speaker:keto enthusiasts say that proof
Speaker:that you get enough vitamin C from animals is the
Speaker:Inuits who never get scurvy. Completely ignoring that
Speaker:their traditional marine diet, seals,
Speaker:whales, have lots of vitamin C in them,
Speaker:unlike beef, low carb. And
Speaker:keto followers love oversimplifying the Inuit diet
Speaker:as proof of their steak only regimen being
Speaker:superior. But that's as misleading as my own attempts
Speaker:at, uh, portion control at a buffet. Rigorous
Speaker:studies like the Seven Country Study demonstrate that
Speaker:balanced diet, rich in plants, lean proteins, healthy
Speaker:fats and whole grains, AKA the Mediterranean
Speaker:diet, deliver far better health results.
Speaker:Sorry, keto fans, looks like carbs might
Speaker:not be your mortal enemy after all.
Speaker:Nowadays, the Inuit communities face disproportionately
Speaker:high rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
Speaker:strokes and cancers. Problems that
Speaker:definitely were not helped by introducing processed,
Speaker:sugary, fatty Western foods. If you're wondering
Speaker:how we managed to export our worst dietary habits,
Speaker:well, that's one American tradition we
Speaker:nailed. Modern Inuit communities also
Speaker:struggle with environmental toxins such as Mercury and
Speaker:PCBs found in marine mammals. Sadly, it seems
Speaker:that whale blubber isn't as pristine as Instagram keto
Speaker:influencers would hope. Ancestral diets
Speaker:may have worked well for centuries ago, but
Speaker:today's environmental and lifestyle changes have
Speaker:complicated that equation
Speaker:significantly.
Speaker:Next, we're going to go to the French paradox. The idea
Speaker:that French people eat rich, buttery foods and still
Speaker:maintain the lowest rates of heart
Speaker:disease in Europe. But guess
Speaker:what? It's actually not a
Speaker:paradox. The French diet isn't all croissants
Speaker:and cheese. It's also abundant in vegetables,
Speaker:fruit and healthy fats from olive oil and
Speaker:seafood. French dining traditions emphasized
Speaker:smaller portions, savoring food and fewer
Speaker:processed items. Importantly, France
Speaker:wasn't excluded from the original seven countries study
Speaker:due to dietary habits, but rather because of
Speaker:insufficient funding. Remember, the study
Speaker:didn't examine entire populations, it didn't examine
Speaker:the entire country, but rather specific villages
Speaker:in that area and how the people ate. So the
Speaker:paradox isn't a paradox, it. It's just sensible
Speaker:eating dressed up in a stylish
Speaker:beret.
Speaker:Switching gears to good science, let's talk about
Speaker:epic the European Perspective
Speaker:investigation into cancer and nutrition. This
Speaker:massive study tracked over half a million people. And guess
Speaker:what? Eating vegetables, fruits, whole
Speaker:grains and legumes actually reduced
Speaker:cancer risks dramatically.
Speaker:Meanwhile, diets heavy on red meat and
Speaker:processed foods didn't fare quite as well.
Speaker:Shocking, I know. Who would have guessed that kale
Speaker:beats bacon in a fight? The Lyon Heart Study
Speaker:and the Mediterranean Diet give further proof about the
Speaker:Mediterranean magic. Even folks who already
Speaker:had heart disease benefited significantly from
Speaker:switching to the Mediterranean style of eating, reducing
Speaker:their risk of a second heart attack by as much as
Speaker:75% the first year and 67%
Speaker:over five years. So if you've
Speaker:already had one health scare, don't double
Speaker:down with a carnivore diet unless you're looking forward to seeing your
Speaker:cardiologist more often than your own family.
Speaker:Another favorite low carb trope is the Hong
Speaker:Kong longevity myth, which claims that people
Speaker:in Hong Kong live long because they have the highest
Speaker:meat consumption in the world. The problem? The
Speaker:old people in Hong Kong consume less meat, leaning
Speaker:towards, you guessed it, a Mediterranean style
Speaker:diet rich in vegetables, fruits and
Speaker:fish, very low in red
Speaker:meat. And in fact, the large red
Speaker:meat consumption is occurring among the younger
Speaker:men in Hong Kong, not in the
Speaker:old people that made it that far.
Speaker:Just another example of bending facts like me
Speaker:bending dietary guidelines after midnight.
Speaker:Historically, the Maasai were thought to
Speaker:be immune from heart disease despite their
Speaker:rich size saturated fat diet.
Speaker:Modern research however, confirmed that there's significant
Speaker:heart disease among the Maasai.
Speaker:Turns out even warriors can't fend off cholesterol
Speaker:forever. Saturated fats may be tasty, but the evidence
Speaker:isn't flying, folks. Yes, they get
Speaker:atherosclerosis and they are not known
Speaker:for their longevity. The keto and
Speaker:carnivore fans, using flawed epidemiologic
Speaker:studies to justify dietary extremes. This
Speaker:is like me trusting to skip dessert. It
Speaker:rarely ends well. True health comes from dietary
Speaker:balance, variety and scientifically
Speaker:validated approaches like the Mediterranean diet.
Speaker:Plus, your taste buds will thank you.
Speaker:Remember, health is nuanced, eating
Speaker:should be enjoyable, and science should always be your guide
Speaker:to the plate. Until next time. Well, stay
Speaker:curious and always leave room for dessert.
Speaker:Do check out the website associated with this
Speaker:blog@yourdoctorsorders.com and my substack,
Speaker:which is tsimpson.substack.com While
Speaker:I am a doctor, I am not your doctor. And before
Speaker:changing your diet, please consult with your Western
Speaker:trained board certified physician
Speaker:and a registered dietitian, not with a
Speaker:chiropractor or some Eastern trained person.
Speaker:This podcast was researched by me. It's been
Speaker:distributed by our good friends at Simpler Media and The pod God, Mr.
Speaker:Evotera. Have a good week everybody.
Speaker:Hey Evo, have you ever tried seal oil?
Speaker:It is rich in vitamin C and A and D,
Speaker:but it tastes kind of like salmon that's been left
Speaker:out on the counter for a week.
Speaker:I think we're gonna keep the seals
Speaker:off the menu when you guys come over.
Speaker:>> Speaker B: Yeah, uh, sure. Thanks for that,
Speaker:I guess. Um, also, let me know the next time I
Speaker:need to have a rim shot queued up for all the jokes you
Speaker:make in these episod.
