Debunking Saturated Fat Myths on Keto with Dr. Bret Scher

[@bouffon1]

Keep on saying it! I am constantly astounded at the number of people that are not only unaware of this of this, but get quite bitter when you dare to present facts.

[@jimrutherford2773]

Your brain needs saturated fat. You can go into ketosis on a vegan diet but over the long run the depletion of saturated fat will cause mental illness. I've seen it in my own family.

[@metabolicmind]

Yes, we figured this one might be controversial, just for the fact that nutrition seems to have become more akin to a religion.

[@PudgyCurmudgeon]

@@jimrutherford2773 That may be part of the problem. People are depriving their brains of the cholesterol and fat that they need which makes them resistant to accepting real science based evidence that conflicts with those beliefs - and probably many other things as well.

[@Sweetest_of_Seven]

I follow a keto/carnivore lifestyle and I have definitely improved my overall health without worrying about my saturated fat intake… honestly the more the better for my hormones and my physical AND mental health! I feel so much better than my old ways… 😊

[@metabolicmind]

Thanks for sharing your journey!

[@sidsnyder8043]

Instead of buttering my toast, like 90% of Americans, I butter my hamburger. Delicious.

[@mlaroche2009]

The moment I told my mom that instead of going from 2 corn on the cobs with butter to 3 or 4 corns with no butter, that we might remove the corn and eat the butter, her jaw dropped hahahah. I did try to reclaim myself saying we could also do this with olive oil but it did not help

[@timledbetter1781]

​@mlaroche2009 does she think margarine is butter like my mother did?

[@sidsnyder8043]

@@timledbetter1781 I'm 69 and I can tell you that our parents back in the 60's and 70's were lied to that butter and lard was bad for you. So, the food comapnies started pushing real hard on margarine and crisco.

[@timledbetter1781]

@sidsnyder8043 yes they did. My mother worked as an LPN in the hospital. The doctors told her to stay away from real fats, and that margarine was more healthy for your heart. Well, my Dad's parents used lard, butter, tallow, ya know real fats. My mom would tell me how unhealthy that was. His parents had much less trouble with their cardiovascular system than my mom did at the same age. They died of lung cancer, because they were told smoking was healthy in their generation. But mom had high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, took statins and still passed away to cancer. Modern food companies are evil

[@mlaroche2009]

@@timledbetter1781 No she thinks margarine is the healty option and butter is poison. WHat I find ironic is that when we say we should limit butter and beef, we say that Vitamin A, K, B12, C15 fatty acid, Zinc, Iron, protein are important for health and many people are deficient. We say creatine is great for physical and mental performance and to preseve cognitive ability while aging. We say saturated fat is bad, but Buteric acid, stearic acid, C15 and MCTs are awesome. Don't people see the contradiction? Margarine, on the other hand, is the healtier option with none of these nutrients. Untill it gets banned because it is too harmfull for health. Then we just invent a new industrial process with no long term studies saying it's bad, make margarine out of that and keep claiming that magarine is still the healthier option

[@stevelanghorn1407]

Your honesty is very refreshing! It’s good that you clearly acknowledge the existence of “other studies” that do show an association between saturated fat consumption and CVD…even if they may well be poorly measured…with multiple confounding factors. I’m tired of the many professionals & “influencers” who repeatedly cherry-pick their data to suit their own particular business / ethical / lifestyle model. You’ve deservedly earned people’s trust because you never fall into that blinkered-vision trap.

[@metabolicmind]

Thank you!

[@Roberto-cg2gr]

Clearly saturated fat without sugar is safe. Have RCT on Dogs

[@1timbarrett]

Dr Scher, your content is always so well-organized. Thank you for your continued professionalism…! 🙏

[@MsLeenite]

Thank you, Dr Scher.

[@jimrutherford2773]

I have found since following a keto low carb diet that the establishment medical lies were more numerous than I imagined. I saw it during the covid pandemic then 2.5 years ago when I decided to go on a healthy low carb diet. 90% of the time I do the opposite of what the establishment says and I haven't been this healthy or felt better in 40 years. Food is my medicine now. It also has pretty much cured my sporadic depression.

[@petermadany2779]

One example of many is the mainstream advice on limiting salt to reduce hypertension. Reducing carbs while eating real food effectively reduced my blood pressure.

[@jimrutherford2773]

@@petermadany2779 I'm in a quandary. I have elevated BP but I'm sensitive to salt but we need enough salt to live. I am very active a lose a lot of sodium from sweating.

[@petermadany2779]

@@jimrutherford2773 About how many net and total carbs do you consume each day? Have you looked into whether you have sleep apnea? (I am a huge fan of mouth-taping to force night-time nose-breathing.) Other important items related to BP include: getting enough morning or evening sun, getting enough sleep, and having non-alcohol/non-drug relaxation methods. (I am a fan of simple breathing exercises in the morning.)

[@petermadany2779]

@@jimrutherford2773 Something else to investigate would be whether Morton Lite Salt would help. Perhaps the problem is sometimes the imbalance between sodium and potassium or magnesium and calcium rather than focusing on sodium in isolation.

[@ButtercupK]

@@jimrutherford2773 you could take electrolytes

[@celiabanish9505]

Beef, bacon, sausage, ribeyes, eggs, butter with coconut oil in coffee. HDL 95, triglycerides 40. Added prob too many carbs back in recently. Within 6 weeks, HDL down to 75, triglycerides up to 125.

[@DelikatesyLafuente]

Exactly. It is an immediate cause and effect relationship: CARBS up -> TRIGLYCERIDES up

[@oldbiker9739]

@@DelikatesyLafuente that's good to know

[@DelikatesyLafuente]

@@oldbiker9739 specially ultra processed foods…look for more videos in YT from credible independent sources.

[@saraha6237]

Thank you Dr. Scher for this broader perspective. Would you consider making a video of possible benefits of having saturated fats in one’s keto diet? Since switching from a plant-based diet (with carbs) to animal-based therapeutic ketosis, my body, brain and nerves crave that butter & fish oil above everything else. A happy place.

[@forajc]

Keep up the good work!! This can be so complex and confusing moving from a high carb diet. People should also be informed of the possibility of LMHR (Lean Mass Hyper Responder) like myself. This group will see a very high LDL, low triglycerides and high HDL as a result of a high fat low carb diet. This triad is looking more and more like a healthy outcome.

[@metabolicmind]

Thanks for your comment. Here's an interview we did with Dr Cromwell that addresses this as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKrFgZhqbcd6qrs

[@kenpumford754]

After beginning a low-carb high-fat diet about 2 years ago, I lost the visceral fat that had been clinging to my midsection since I crossed 40, and I'm now back at my college weight. Every blood test marker improved except LDL, which has gone through the roof. Doing further research, I learned about lean mass hyper responders, and after some experimentation confirmed that I am one. Since my diet now includes lots of natural saturated fats, am I concerned about elevated cardiac risk? Since it was a very fit middle-aged cardiologist that turned me on to the high-fat low-carb lifestyle, definitely not!

[@thrivingwithbipolar]

Another fantastic, clear, well informed video. Thank you❤

[@corteltube]

Great info..thanks Doctor. ☺️

[@biodivers5294]

Great summary and advice in the end of your talk👋

[@mbrochh82]

Here's a ChatGPT summary: - Ketogenic therapy can put treatment-resistant mental illness into remission and eliminate type 2 diabetes. - Many versions of keto diets contain more saturated fat than commonly recommended, which is often considered a health risk. - There is no single ketogenic diet; it can be vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean, omnivore, or carnivore. - Concerns about saturated fat should not preclude someone from pursuing ketogenic therapy. - The majority of evidence suggesting saturated fat increases heart disease comes from low-quality, large population nutritional observation studies. - These studies have inherent weaknesses, such as low-quality data collection, healthy user bias, and low statistical significance. - Many studies show no increased health risk with increased saturated fat intake. - A 2009 meta-analysis found the available evidence unsatisfactory and unreliable to make judgments about dietary fat and heart disease risk. - A 2010 meta-analysis found no association between saturated fat intake and heart disease outcomes. - A 2014 systematic review found no clear support for dietary guidelines limiting saturated fat intake. - A 2015 meta-analysis found no association between saturated fat and heart disease, all-cause mortality, or any other disease. - A 2017 meta-analysis found no significant association between saturated fat and heart disease death. - The source of saturated fat is key; common sources in the U.S. include unhealthy foods like pizza, desserts, and mixed meals. - Most low-carb or ketogenic studies that don't limit saturated fat show dramatic metabolic health improvements and some show reduced cardiac risk. - A 2020 Cochrane review of RCTs found no difference in total or cardiac mortality or cancer risk for those who ate more versus less saturated fat. - The review found a very small increase in combined cardiac events for those who ate more saturated fat, but this was only significant when combining all trials. - The increase in risk was mainly seen in those who had an increase in LDL cholesterol. - The data from high-carb, high-fat diets do not necessarily apply to whole foods, low-carb diets as part of ketogenic therapy. - The overall dietary makeup and its impact on health are more important than focusing solely on saturated fat. - Main message: The concern about saturated fat in ketogenic diets is likely overstated, and the overall dietary context and its impact on health should be the primary focus.

[@ScienceAppliedForGood]

You've provided a good perspective on the saturated fat and whether it's healthy or not. Robert Lustig, MD also emphasizes that there are two types of saturated fat. And he mentions that saturated fat from meat is neutral for CVD risk, while saturated fat from dairy is actually positive for reducing the CVD risk. I haven't checked his claims, but they align with other sources of information on saturated fat that I am aware of. Overall, saturated fat became a scape goat of The Lipid (cholesterol) Hypothesis of CVD.

[@petermadany2779]

I'm curious; what are the top 10 sources of proteins and fats in a typical ketogenic vegan diet?

[@caitlinhoey841]

Macadamia nuts, coconut flesh, avocados 🥑

[@petermadany2779]

@@caitlinhoey841 Those are 3 of my favorite plant sources of fats. I presume olives would be high on a lot of vegan fat lists. They are all fairly light on the protein side. What are the top protein sources?

[@metabolicmind]

Tofu is a prime protein source for most. Nuts and seeds are OK, and Nutritional yeast and protein supplements are also sometimes needed. Heres a guide that may help www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/vegan

[@sherbear8097]

Thank you

[@Terrierized]

Eat more local beef

[@johnmartinsen963]

Amen

[@esthermuroff8532]

I 2nd that!

[@metabolicmind]

That's the ideal. Especially if it's from a regenerative ranch. We need to promote that practice as much as we can so it can become a reality for more people.

[@johnmartinsen963]

@@metabolicmind I always recommend people check out The Rebel Cowboy (Will Harris). It's a short documentary, but I can't remember which channel...

[@cynthiagilbreth1352]

If you can afford it, but with all the inflation recently most people can’t.

[@PudgyCurmudgeon]

How can one possibly achieve and maintain a ketogenic state, no matter how much saturated fat they consume if they are not severely limiting carbs? I contend that eating high saturated fat with moderate to high carbohydrate foods is the worst possible diet one can eat without adding sugars. If you add sugars into such eating you will vastly accelerate your metabolic decline. Whole foods (preferably organic) with fatty ruminant red meats and omega-3 rich (not farm raised) seafood is the way to go.

[@lonewolf7803]

Interestingly, according to FDA tests, farm raised salmon has higher omega-3 than wild.

[@genegroover3721]

Thank you for the information presented so very clearly and without any apparent biasis. Well done! Living in South Korea.

[@krisjustin3884]

I loved this presentation with nothing but facts to debunk saturated fat myths! I watched Dr. Joe TV and this physician reversed diabetes with a plant based diet with no saturated fat over 30 grams. Looks like a high fat diet with no carbs over 30 grams works as well! Perhaps mixing the fat and carbs is what gets us into trouble?

[@metabolicmind]

Thats well said. The main trouble comes with high calorie, mixed high fat/high carb diets.

[@ButtercupK]

I agree!!!

[@Pascal270]

You are totally right. Please check the Randal cycle.

[@stigsrnning6459]

We are adapted to mix fat+protein with carbs. When the caveman came back home to his cave he brought a wild boar or another fat animal to be cooked, while his woman brought roots or grains to be cooked in their pot. The mixed meal made the family drowsy and they all went to sleep deep in the cave after some berries/fruit too, but they were pretty safe at home in the evening with still some burning wood sticks used to cook their meal near the entrance to their cave, to keep enermies/predators at a distance or delay anyone trying to enter when the cave were more or less closed by large rocks around the pot. In the morning the family only ate plant food (berries/fruit) to stay sharp with glucose spikes along the path to gathering or hunting ground, so enemies/predators were less able to sucsessfully attack.

[@krisjustin3884]

@@Pascal270 Was thinking that with my comment. Read my mind!

[@presence5426]

People should also watch Nutrition Made Simple (Dr. Gil Carvahlo) videos on saturated fat risk.

[@Roberto-cg2gr]

Share to your country's Nutrition Councils and Mental Hospitals

[@dennisward43]

While there is no overall significant evidence of saturated fat causing heart disease, there is significant evidence that people, with elevated blood sugar that led to diabetes, doubles the risk of heart disease. "Your risk of developing cardiovascular disease goes up at age 40, but is highest after age 70. People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely than others to develop cardiovascular disease. Because this risk is so high, cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of death in people with diabetes."

[@danielc9329]

Any treatment to any medical condition has risk and benifit, including diet and exercise!

[@metabolicmind]

So true!

[@beerman204]

Does the saturated fat you eat come from "high quality" sources? It probably makes a difference.

[@sanebooks]

I completely reversed diabetes with a wholesome keto diet. The blood tests speak for themselves.

[@gavinsymes-wizardot]

Keep saying this, as the majority of people still believe skewed and old 'science'.

[@gloriagiorgi1026]

Maybe if you realize they’re avoidant, you can try to put them before this reality of things and convince them to go to therapy.

[@UnknownUser-sc6jx]

Saturated fats in the blood is from eating carbohydrates. Saturated fats in the diet has zero impact on blood saturated fats. Saturated fats in the blood bad. Saturated fats in the diet healthy

[@katysanz8237]

Je trouve dommage qu' on parle d' alimentations cétogène avec peu d' infos sur les bien réels de cette alimentation il faut bien équilibrer les protéines et les lipides qui doivent être supérieur et surtout à moins de 20gr de glucides / jours ce sont surtout les glucides le problème de notre alimentation les aliments transformer il faut pas parler de graisse saturées mais de bonnes graisse à l' exclusivité de l' huile d' olive car on fait de l'huile à partir d' un fruit et non d' une graine !! De la graisse de bœuf,de l' huile d' avocat ,de la graisse d' oie, de canard , du ghee ,beurre cru , etc...

[@rabokarabekian409]

Consult your provider who will know less abut nutrition than you do.

[@UnknownUser-sc6jx]

Saturated fats are the healthiest fats, worst fats are PUFAs.

[@biowm]

This feels pretty one-sided. Even just considering the substituting foods provides much reconciliation; thankfully others and guidelines appreciate this! However, I think it is reasonable to question whether things are different under low carb/keto conditions, and some studies have looked at this too, which you could discuss. There may even be some therapeutic benefit.

[@Shakedown24Seven]

Yeah you should worry greatly about sat fat. Especially if you’re looking for ketones and using anti psychotics as they will be suppressing your insulin and your body will be inundated with circulating triglycerides while your diet poisons you and rapidly clogs your arteries, essentially causing the opposite of what your oxygen starved brain requires. Also have a genetic test before initiating a therapeutic ketogenic diet to see if it’s even resolving underlying conditions as you may not be geared to handle abundant fat quantities and carbs may not be your bottleneck. Btw next to zero North American Dr’s understand anything about metabolics surrounding mental illness. Willfully blind best describes our healthcare system. Not to mention health is much more individualized than the pigs at pharmaceutical companies would have you believe and all those shills pumping out their poison. Do you research and take measures into your own hands my friends.

[@AnneMB955]

So, please give examples of ‘dietary religious cults’. This statement seems to be an oxymoron.

[@GlennMarshallnz]

Vegans 🤣

[@yogiyoda]

It's amusing how people in each dietary religious cult cherry picks the evidence and look for any fault in the studies that don't agree with their religious doctrine. It's my understanding that the preponderance of evidence shows that saturated fat intakes above 5% to 12% of calories increase the risk of heart disease. But also eating lots of processed carbs increases risk too. So people replacing saturated fat with candy and white bread won't see much benefit. This is why some studies are contradictory. Perhaps there are exceptions for "lean mass hyper responders" in regards to saturated fat intake where they can eat unlimited saturated fat without harm. But the evidence isn't there yet

[@whlewis9164]

It’s important to separate correlations and causes when weighing the preponderance of evidence.

[@yogiyoda]

@@whlewis9164 - of course the science won't be perfect. But it's not just epidemiology. Of course, that's the usually the best we can do for the longest-term studies. But there are also shorter term studies corroborating this in regards to changes in blood markers etc

[@metabolicmind]

Thanks for your comment. One of the main points of the video is that none of those studies were done in a low carb context. So if someone is eating low carb, improving their metabolic health, don't have an increase in ApoB, but are eating saturated fat, does that put them at risk? The default tends to be yes, but there is no evidence to support it. In fact, there is the opposite evidence.

[@whlewis9164]

@@metabolicmind good time to be a lipid scientist!

[@biowm]

​@@metabolicmind Unfortunately the video comes off as a general (unbalanced) debunking of saturated fat, without discussing any low carb-specific studies. For instance, those with isocaloric comparison of saturated to unsaturated fats show the typical differential effects on cholesterol, some also on ketones (Fuehrlein 2004, Forsythe 2010, Lundsgaard 2019, Parker 2021); and another on seizure control (Nathan 2019). This is the evidence, and you should care about it, esp since low carb diets are associated with increased CVD (Iatan 2024).

[@robertusga]

It's not hard. If you are eating tons of saturated fat and your ApoB is sky high, reduce saturated fat and/or use ApoB lowering therapy. Thats based on high quality mendelian randomization and RCTs. Not just epidemiological data.

[@johnmartinsen963]

High quality trials😂 ? That agree with the position of the source of funding🤔? Try overeating fat on a carnivore diet... The CVD risk only get dangerous if you include carbs in your diet.

[@robertusga]

@@johnmartinsen963 Interesting point of view you have there. What hard outcome data from which human studies support your bold claim?

[@johnmartinsen963]

@@robertusga If I could produce studies, you could counter with my point that published science agrees with the position of the source of funding. There are thousands of N=1 testimonies mirroring my bold claim. Try it yourself if you have the courage of your carnivore ancestors. If you've been altered (jabbed) a dietary intervention might be the only thing saving you from the next "lab leak" assault on humanity.

[@ssa8479]

40 years ago: Your cholesterol is too high. 20 years ago: Your high LDL will kill you. Now: It's your ApoB! If your TC is high, your LDL will be high, as will your ApoB. If your carb intake is low, your triglycerides will be low. High total, LDL, triglycerides and low HDL = not good. High total, LDL and HDL, low triglycerides, low insulin, low hs-CRP, you should be doing okay. But guess what? The end result will be the same: we all gotta go.

[@ssa8479]

Not just epidemiological data? In epidemiology, Mendelian randomization is a method using measured variation in genes to examine the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome. And RCTs? Is that why for 40 years they have been saying "associated with" and 'Strongly associated with"? Big pharma has a pill they want to sell. They can get the trial outcomes they want. And the raw data is their proprietary information, outside researchers and scientists don't get to see it.