Dr. Esselstyn: “Mediterranean Diet (and Olive Oil) creates Heart Disease!”

[@Lophophorawilliamsii]

I am Spanish and olive oil is part of our culture. Spain has one of the highest longevity rates in the world. Here olive oil can never be missing from the table. If you want to stop using olive oil, forget it, but in Spain we will continue to use it. Paquita, my 106-year-old neighbor, sends her regards to Dr. Esselstyn but says that she will continue to use olive oil every day as she has always done since she was a child.

[@aurelienb9109]

Olive oil like all oils is highly detrimental to the environment. How many trees do you need for all this olive oil ? Eating olives from time to time does not have this environmental impact.

[@SardonianSmile]

@@aurelienb9109you haven’t idea what you are talking about… go eat your canola oil and say thank you

[@SardonianSmile]

I am Greek and I am totally agree with you… they just don’t know

[@aurelienb9109]

@@SardonianSmile The oil industry is very strong and will fight to death to continue to sell their poison for the health and the environment.

[@aurelienb9109]

@@SardonianSmile Do you have visited the monocultures of olive trees ? They do not have anything to envy to monocultures of palm trees.

[@josephmassaro]

I'm pretty sure I can find a doctor who has an axe to grind with just about anything we eat. If we got them all in the same room, nothing would be safe.

[@Physionic]

True

[@AmphibianDev]

Well, there are a lot of studies that show that not eating is very good for you :)

[@hctim96]

@@AmphibianDev " not eating is very good for you" but the outcome is unfortunate... ultimate death, yes? Limited fasting? yes...:)

[@capnkirk5528]

@@AmphibianDev In moderation I suspect there in fact ARE a lot of studies that show that NOT EATING is good for you. Fasting. But like and medicine or protocol, DOSAGE seems to be a key item. Too much fasting is likely fatal, but you can't really ethically study how much!

[@stormlord1984]

@@AmphibianDev But until you die, 0 heart issues until the very last breath. Win-win.

[@jassy0903]

Yes, a couple of scientists respectfully discussing research we are lucky enough to get to see in our lifetime. This is what we need more of in the world. Thank you.

[@arnoldm5891]

It's no surprise that someone like Dr. Esselstyn, who pushes an extreme diet, would think this way. He maintains his focus on data that fits his belief system, and wears blinders to data that don't. He has invested so much of his work in his diet that it has become such a major part of his identity, making almost any contrary data, to him, seem like a personal attack on his character or intelligence. His mindset is fixed.

[@ReflectedMiles]

Yes, this is a spot-on point, but not just about this particular doctor. The best way to find nutrition science used questionably is to watch diet-war videos, including the most popular whole-food-plant-based research channel. It's not that there is no truth or value in them, but they will especially stretch or ignore crucial metrics like effect size to make the research results seem like they wholly match what they want or need them to say, and especially what they know their audience insists on hearing. The real world just isn't that simplistic. Gil and Nic generally do much better work, as one would expect based on their specialized training.

[@tspicks4360]

So you've made an essentially ad hominem comment on Dr. Esselstyn, ignoring the rather stunning results seen in his patients LONG TERM (which is what matters with cvd). Patients with severe cvd, stents, bypasses, etc, etc, then going DECADES (or years now, in the case of his 2nd trial) without significant cvd incident. Mediterranean diet doesn't accomplish this. So ...

[@petermaharajh2088]

“Data that fits a belief system.” That is straight up every damn thing nowadays. Brilliant comment.

[@tspicks4360]

@@petermaharajh2088 Far from a "brilliant comment". Displays ignorance of who Esselstyn is and how he actually comes to his belief system - through treating his patients for decades and seeing the real world results of his protocol.

[@ReflectedMiles]

@@tspicks4360 In other words, like every other loosey-goosey health practitioner who has no need of randomization or placebo controls or peers reviewing and able to replicate his or her results to call it science. You think you’re referring to science, but you’re primarily referring to anecdote. The two will never be the same, whether it is the story of an individual or the story of a practitioner. “My patients have better outcomes than all other patients” requires commensurate, _objective_ proof.

[@polymathematics5837]

My mom ate extra virgin olive oil everyday of her life and lived to over 102 years without any heart disease.

[@Stefan_Doz]

How did she eat it?

[@derradjidris4374]

Great, extra Virgin olive oil is a magic food.

[@oolala53]

We can't judge from individual results. But I get your point. Without even listening to the whole video, I have my suspicions about Dr. E and anyone advocating any one dietary philosophy, including Mediterranean since it's so vague what it really is. Nor what it means to start using it much later in life. We are basically all just testing our diets.

[@Stefan_Doz]

@@oolala53 that’s why health science sucks. People are different and what may work for some of the people being studied won’t necessarily work for you.

[@polymathematics5837]

​@@Stefan_DozMy mom used olive oil and vinegar on her green salads. She regularly used it on steamed broccoli, steamed cauliflower and used it to sautee string beans with onions and garlic. Extra virgin oil is not supposed to be used as a cooking oil due to low temperature oxidation but she did use it that way occasionally for making string beans, but the sautee time was short and she use used medium heat and apparently had no negative effect on her heart. I follow her regiment but use avocado oil when needing to sautee at higher temperatures. I stsy awayfrom all seed oils. So far I have no known heart problems and I'm 68.

[@brucehehehe]

Looks like nothing edible now

[@spurgendahl]

Right! Choose fasting or starvation for the rest of your life - and you'll live forever! 😉

[@toriwolf5978]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@tiz6549]

Give me a damn break! The many years that ppl have been eating Mediterranean meals in including olive oil with no problems! Yeah right...

[@questionauthority-f6i]

Everything damages your body/organs to some degree. You have to give it sufficient time and support to heal the damage. We need studies that can give more insight into how much and how often we need that rest.

[@SlashingCobra]

I know right wtf

[@karenwheeler1534]

So Greeks and Italians have been dropping like flies for generations I guess.

[@thomasmuller1850]

Romans and ancient Greeks are dead. That can't be a coincidence.

[@blaze1148]

@@thomasmuller1850 😆

[@Graphicxtras1]

@@thomasmuller1850 History is clearly bad for you as well

[@HidingFromFate]

@@blaze1148 All the cultures and generations which have come before use have all died, regardless of their dietary practices. In conclusion, all food is bad and will kill you. 😵

[@Mariajbh2]

Olive oil is the healthiest oil in the world. Spaniards are the second longest-lived country in the world after Japan. Vegetable fats are very healthy. They are also trying to sink intermittent fasting as "totally harmful to health"😂

[@jacko.6625]

That's not a "paper." It says very clearly at the top that it's an editorial.

[@ottomondo1368]

MDs aren’t necessarily scientists. Highly trained and obscenely paid technicians, for sure. Scientists? Rarely, and only if trained as a scientist, but completing med school is no guarantee.

[@arihaviv8510]

The most important thing is that they actually do science. As this video points out, the evidence is just not there for the claim

[@arihaviv8510]

​@@ki5ngaudid you even watch the video...

[@icls9129]

MDs are clueless about nutrition, just pill pushers.

[@Jeffs60]

Dr. Fred Kummmerow was a biochemist and would say everything Esselstyn says is wrong.

[@kasnarfburns210]

They're akin to auto mechanics but for the body.

[@willbrink]

I left a less than nice comment on that vid when it came out. His "paper" is an editorial and cherry picked nonsense. Dr. Esselstyn is a perfect example of a seemingly educated/qualified person who has an agenda and no clue, which confuses the hell out of people. I think Gil let him off the hook way too easily. Anyone telling people the Med Diet is toxic can safely be ignored. The data as to benefit of olive oil, Med Diet, etc is overwhelming.

[@7sonderling]

thx for your clarification. Ignored? Hmmm... such a statement borders on assault and should be treated accordingly...

[@digitalperson108]

Assault?

[@7sonderling]

@@digitalperson108 lost in translation 😉. better term might be physical injury. If people are drawn away from a healthy diet and will suffer avoidable deseases as a consequence...

[@brianlane9534]

I watched it on Gil's page. He is a kind soul. He held back.

[@carinaekstrom1]

I don't think Dr Esselstyn has an agenda other than health, but he's been admired for this particular "no oil" solution for so long that it seems hard for him to stay objective.

[@andrew1699]

next year, water is poisonous

[@MadcapMutt]

That ship already sailed, try doing a search on the health hazards in your water. 😄

[@paradisekohchangstyle2150]

Actually true: tetracholorethylne. Get yourself a good water filter. Even that may not save you...

[@rickt10]

Well, the devil is in the dose with water.😅

[@c00ckiez]

Well, everyone who drinks water dies at some point - so maybe it is poisonus?

[@nobodynever7884]

It's pure poison if enough gets in your lungs

[@Ahto42]

You can not compare American diet and European diet. Even the junk food in europe is healtyer than the normal food in the US.

[@lazur1]

The difference in health-span between countries is tiny compared to a truly healthy health-span.

[@Longtack55]

I cycled through 14 European countries last year. The food at bakeries was too often Ultra-processed white flour garbage with little nutritional value. The rest was unaffordable.

[@i3looi2]

The issue is olive oil became somewhat more affordable and is slowly replacing the industrial seed oils. If that is not reason enough for some Seed Oil companies to fight back, I don't know what is. At least here, in Romania, because most workforce left in Italy and Spain, they all taught their relatives to switch to Olive Oil. People buy less and less sunflower oil. None in my family or close relatives use sunflower anymore. Unless for very traditional and apecific recipies.

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

More affordable ??? I live in EU and this thing is almost twice more expensive than butter and 7 times than a regular liquid poison in plastic bottles.

[@GregQchi]

Esselstyn is massively anti seed oils, too

[@i3looi2]

@@MACTEP_CHOB "somewhat more affordable" it used to be a lot more expensive relative to minimum income. Also it used to be hard to find.

[@Fearzero]

There's nothing wrong with seed oils.

[@RenySouthCarolina]

I love being on the Mediterranean diet! Cardiovascular disease runs rampant in my family, so I will continue my daily small amounts of olive oil. Thank you for the clarification 🙏🏻

[@gregoryhatt6475]

Your channel and Gil's channel are like bullshit filters for me. Data-driven, analytical, and incredibly valuable. Thank you so much for your work, we appreciate it out here in bullshit land. To your health

[@uruson]

Physionic is indeed a gem among gems! I think you should be a bit more sceptical of 'Gil', however, if he is the man at 4:00. He does present data in his videos, but his argumentation is deeply flawed in that he ostensibly has no standards when it comes to arguments that support his points, while he's perfectly capable of recognising flawed arguments when they detract from his points. Put another way - he's willing to argue in ways that he'd dismiss as invalid in a millisecond were said argumentation levied against him. For example - in a video discussing whether or not 'phytochemicals' are harmful or not, he 'rebuts' the idea that they're harmful by presenting studies that claim positive effects. Were this argument levied against him, he'd instantly recognise that something can have both positive *and* negative effects, and that claiming there are 'positive effects' in no way rebuts the idea that there are negative effects. In medicine, you usually find both positives and negatives. See: Chemotherapy. (and figuratively all other medicine, Re:side effects) Beyond that, I'm pretty sure a 500kg JDAM can kill cancer cells. Positive study: Applied in-vitro. Negative study: Applied directly to the forehead. Turns out, that positive study doesn't matter! Now, one study *can* rebut another, if both test X and find opposing results. But that wasn't what he presented. In other instances I've seen him use studies selectively, where he puts text from a study on screen, highlighted, and comments on the highlighted part to support his conclusion. But I'm the curious sort, so I of course pause and read every word put on screen. The non-highlighted part he himself put on screen in his video, directly disagreed with the conclusion he sought to draw from the paper he quoted and put on screen. I then looked at the paper he cited to confirm, and sure enough it didn't support his proposition. I neither know nor care why he does this. I'm not saying you shouldn't watch him. Just make sure the papers he cites actually support the points he presents them to support.

[@JohnSmith-zs1bf]

Who is gil

[@chuckleezodiac24]

@@JohnSmith-zs1bf a Vegan who's a card-carrying Council Member of the True Health Initiative -- an organization hellbent on World Domination.

[@skylineuk1485]

Having followed nutritional science since the 1980’s I have come to one simple conclusion- everything in moderation, there is no silver bullet, no magic food just don’t be greedy, eat proper good food and don’t stress.

[@JackMyersPhotography]

Got it, a few donuts, two Twinkies, instant coffee and noodles, good to go.

[@blaze1148]

....that is what the mainstream health narrative says and look where that has got us....sky rocketting diabetes and heart disease.....for optimal health I suggest a Keto or Carnivore diet with intermittent fasting.

[@ghost9-9ghost]

​@blaze1148 the reason we have skyrocketing amounts of health problems is because almost nobody TAKES the advice of moderation......people are 400 times more sedentary than 40 years ago....people pkay video games and drink energy drinks and don't sleep.....and they eat junk food. Trust me, moderation mostly works.....I've struggled with true obesity since I was a kid.....have had it nicely controlled/corrected since my 30s....I eat mostly unprocessed food....a few treats here and there.....and I get AOME TYPE of exercise daily.

[@Incomudro1963]

Add to that - regular exercise, and don't let yourself become overweight.

[@Incomudro1963]

@@ghost9-9ghost Absolutely correct. Too many extremists out there nowadays, form carnivores to vegans. Just eat right and exercise.

[@baarbacoa]

I spent a little over 1 year on diet similar to what Dr Esselstyn favors. I'll just say that adhering to the diet long term is exceedingly difficult. It's much easier to stick to a med diet.

[@dhanguru1]

Our body is self demolishing ,nothing can save it ,we are here for limited time ,use it wisely

[@carinaekstrom1]

Now, if we could just figure out what "wisely" is.

[@drusmith6463]

... add insult to injury: i love belgian chocolate with sea salt!! years of living dangerously....

[@CheersToYou007]

Jesus Christ saves. ⏳⏲️

[@linmal2242]

Well said !

[@yepyep6916]

Fact…everyone dies from something.

[@jeffkilgore6320]

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is an amazing human being. His medical findings were conducted for many, many decades and it led him to disavow his previous understanding of diet and nutrition. He’s an Olympic champion and is today, 90, and still works as a doctor. He and his diet saved one of my best friend’s lives.

[@ericdahl2915]

so you say

[@Longtack55]

Being an Olympic champion is evidence of nothing much. Alexy Vasiliev was a Olympic weightlifter and was dead at 40.

[@kraftwerk974]

Mediterranean diet is great. My grandmother just died 104 in Barcelona totally autonomous eating a pure Mediterranean diet with lots of local olive oil and red wine.

[@oolala53]

Probably not due only to the diet.

[@kraftwerk974]

@@oolala53 probably but take into account that women in Catalonia have the 2d highest life expectancy in Europe due to the Mediterranean diet. I don't seriously think they are genetic freaks.

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

Climate is irrelevant then ?

[@kraftwerk974]

@@MACTEP_CHOB in Barcelona the climate is great but the influence on longevity honesty I don't know...

[@notsparctacus]

​@@MACTEP_CHOB In Florida the climate I also great....but....😂

[@seanu6840]

That’s it I’m done, I’m not eating anymore

[@tobylots]

Let’s fast forever 😊

[@tracymullane8818]

Olive oil contains *essential* fatty acids. 1. It's an editorial. 2. Who's endothelial cells are being damaged? A 15-year-old's? A. 65-year-old's? An athlete? 3. Is it actually the oil or the phytonutrients in the oil? There is a wide range of oleic acid 50 to 85% in differing olive oils. 4. The American Heart Association states mono unsaturated oil such as olive oil lowers LDL. 5. How is the so-called damage being done? By taking a shot of oil all at once or by using the oil in cooking or as salad dressing? 6. How much oil does it take to damage endothelial cells? 7. How do the endothelial cells recover or are they permanently weakened? What is the claim of damage? 8. Since endothelial cells in the veins and arteries are classified as heart tissue, how does it repair itself since heart tissue does not continuously replace itself, as some other tissues do, but grows and shrinks according to demand of the body? After seeing Dr Nic's studies I agree that the editorial has little value on whether or not we should be consuming olive oil. You teach your body how to consume foods by eliminating bad pseudo foods like sugar. I believe the Mediterranean diet has one consuming very little sugar. I will continue with the Mediterranean diet.

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

No, it does not. Also no retinol and vitamin D. Also tastes bad, if it is not from Southern Greece. If you like olives, you can eat them, but why there is such need to squeeze a juice from them ?

[@tracymullane8818]

@@MACTEP_CHOB Don't know where you're getting your info but it's pretty easy to find: Olive oil is on average 10% linoleic acid (an omega-6 oil) and less than 1% linolenic acid (an omega-3 oil) Nothing wrong with olive oil. It's been used for centuries. But I agree that the least amount of processed food the better in general. Is butchering a cow and slicing up steaks processing it? What about baklava and spanakopita? I just went on a baklava diet and lost weight because of all the butter. Well I was working out too- and the body loves that- taking in lots of fat while you're working out. The trick is not to eat carbs during that time. People are amazed if I tell them I'm going on a high fat diet to trim down.

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

@@tracymullane8818 Since when omega-6 is essential ? And yeah, lets just ignore absolutely essential retinol and vitamin D3 no plant matter even has. As for diets, none works. As you said cutting carbs is beneficial indeed. Randle cycle is real. With that knowledge, you don't need to study tons of diets to get well. But Sapiens are better off with animal fat. Every thing that comes from a plant must be looked upon with a huge lens.

[@polymathematics5837]

Are these studies funded by the same people who told us to replace butter with transfats to improve our health?

[@CharlieFader]

Never really happened. They had no idea what trans fats even were, when they started making margarines.

[@JohnA000]

If doctor's and researchers can't come to a consensus how the hell are we supposed to.

[@Physionic]

They often do agree on most things, actually - it's social media that makes it seem like everyone is opposing each other.

[@honesty3440]

@@PhysionicSocial media like this?

[@valerie4975]

@@Physionic They agree on most things? Not really.

[@bogdanpopescu1401]

we are not supposed to come to a consensus; live and let live

[@valerie4975]

@@bogdanpopescu1401 you miss the point. People are trying to figure out what is healthy and are turning to professionals for help. But what they get is confusion.

[@retiredbitjuggler3471]

Thanks for another insightful analysis. I was a little concerned at the title of this video, but I should know your style by now. In any case, I have been on a modified low-carb Mediterranean diet for 2.5 years which includes daily intake of a whole avocado and significant EVOO with heaping amounts of veggies (raw, steamed, and my own lacto fermented veggie’s and dairy and fermented vinegars). My doctors all ask me to describe exactly what I am doing to cause such a significant improvement in general health markers. I’ve lost 90 pounds, retired my cholesterol, diabetes, and blood pressure meds. I started with an A1C of 8.9 and blood pressure in the 140’s/90’s and am down to 5.1 and 120’s/70’s. Never mind resolving all of the aches and pains I simply attributed to getting on in age. I feel decades younger, so no disrespect to the doctor, I have to follow my heart (and your re-analysis) and pursue my new lifestyle with a smile on my face! 😊😊😊😊😊

[@cosmonaut9942]

I was on the McDougal diet (identical to Esselsteyn's plant based diet) for four years BEFORE I had sextuple heart bypass surgery. Should I conclude that the McDougal diet caused my heart disease? Of course not. I can't even conclude if the diet made the disease worse or better. Same with Esselstyn's hypothesis about olive oil. He also ignores the fact that many of the longest living and healthiest populations on earth consume olive oil.

[@ClayTallStories]

Dr Esselstyn's diet not only halted my heart disease but gave me my life back. 3 years ago I could not walk 100 meters without crippling angina. Now I am regularly back in the hills tramping, hunting, and MTB. Yes, I still have coronary artery disease but none of the symptoms, and I did not get the stent I was meant to have and I am not taking any meds. My blood markers are perfect, and my blood pressure is 110/70. The only time I have eaten fish was doing primitive survival exercises for my channel here. Otherwise, I have healed my sick self with Dr Esselstyn's protocol. I like doctors who live into their 90s and still have all their marbles and health. I do appreciate the respectful tone of Gill and this nerdy well-made video. Keep in mind that science is always ready to change itself at any point in time. Thank you for your work.

[@Physionic]

That's amazing - thank you for sharing. I wish you continued improvement.

[@DamonWard-h4u]

@@Physionic you are a gem Nic.

[@divadyrdnal]

So, may I ask what do you hunt (and I assume you eat your what you hunt?) following Dr Easselstyn’s diet? Hunter/heart patient guy asking…

[@pookiecatblue]

Great post, @Clay. Glad to hear you're doing fine, and yes, I agree about "doctors who live into their 90s and still have all their marbles and health". It lends a bit more credence to their words. 🙂

[@cokeiceeeee]

Dr. Carvalho is a wealth of info. He doesnt pick sides he presents data and they make clearly what is correlated and what is not.

[@Kaztrofy]

Everyone has their opinion about what's healthy or not, meanwhile I just read about the oldest man alive (112) just celebrated his bday today, and when asked about diet he said he ate fish n chips everyday. Not exactly statistically meaningful in any way but thought it was funny.

[@jackrabbitism]

It is funny. And a tonic. Thanks.

[@hctim96]

There will always be the outlier that eats Jimmy Dean sausage for breakfast every day, smokes a. pack of cigarettes per day and at 96 just put on a new roof..

[@KasKade7]

You emulate that diet and report back to us at age 112?

[@MalleusDei275]

More fish than chips.... Nothing wrong with saturated fat ... You can't over eat it. You body will only process what it needs....the rest passes.

[@MalleusDei275]

A stick of butter a day makes diabetes go away....animal base is best.

[@alanrichardson3459]

Thanks!

[@MissAnthropeR6]

As an italian decendent, this is sacrilegious! Lol. Cut us Italians and we bleed oluve oil, not blood. I consume it daily and to be completely honest, I wouldn't remove it from my diet regardless of the findings. 😜

[@linmal2242]

Ditto in AUS now !

[@mateivancic7369]

These people are sick. Only the devil knows what Kind of oliveoil they use. Most of the olive oil in a Western supermarket are punched with seed oils and so on.

[@ConniePretula]

The low fat trend of the 80’s recommended by the American Hearth Association was later proven to cause all sorts of health issues. Plant based works for some people, omnivore works for others. Health is more than nutrition, as you pointed out, mental stress is a big factor. If we move our bodies in some way daily and stay away from processed and highly refined foods, buy the best ingredients we can afford to make our own food, look for ways to reduce or manage stress, for the most part, we are going to be okay 🤷‍♀️

[@Justinegallows]

It wasn't a low fat trend. It's a low saturated fat trend. Which is because thats what the evidence shows And it didn't cause health issues. Hardly anyone actually follows the recommendations. People that actually do followers the recommendation, which is a diet of whole plants, then they improve there health

[@Stefan_Doz]

@@Justinegallowshow would you know? You know what everyone is eating?

[@Justinegallows]

@Stefan_Doz How would the person who made the comment know that most people actually followed a low fat diet? I made my claim off of evidence. People's dietary patterns are studied, and its not low fat.

[@Stefan_Doz]

@@Justinegallows some peoples dietary patterns are very loosely followed. Very few people. I know mine aren’t, are yours?

[@Justinegallows]

@Stefan_Doz People follow dietary patterns consistently. People dont flip flop between being on carnivore diet for a week, to a vegan diet the next, to a twinkie diet. The specific foods may change, such as from eating an apple to eating a sweet potato, but the types of foods don't. Of course some people have eating disorders, mental disorders , live in poverty or have KZbin channels and portray whatever diet they think will get them the most views But that's the exception. Not the rule

[@thomasreasoner6253]

Esselstyn finds FMD to be suggestive but not conclusive on its own. What's more important is that when he tried his very low fat, no oil intervention on people who had such severe heart problems that they couldn't even be safely operated on anymore, it was so successful that most of his patients saw either no progression of disease or a reversal. To my knowledge, no one has been able to reproduce his results with a diet that contains any kind of oil; the Lyon Diet Heart Study used a Mediterranean-type diet and participants had an order of magnitude more major cardiovascular events than those in Esselstyn's trials. The point about FMD is about trying to understand the mechanisms that explain the clinic results. Your point about the effect of exercise on FMD is a non sequitur: for instance, exercise also increases free radicals in the blood but that doesn't mean we shouldn't care about whether foods increase or decrease free radicals.

[@guyfawkes5012]

I agree and think the explanation is simply a better lipid profile, as this recent study shows doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.035034

[@Etcetheral]

All of this is true, but you cannot extrapolate Esselstyn results to a healthy population (Maybe they exist, but I am not aware of any study that compare his no fat diet to other diets for healthy individuals)

[@nimblegoat]

Esselstyn made incredible claims about reversal of atherosclerosis . Plague by it's nature is an incredibly tough biome, think stuck on mold, dental plaque needing ultrasonic cleaning . He said reversal in under a month, So I could eat what i want for 10 months , then clean my arteries on lots of kale, veggies and not too much carbs. Seems miraculous and easily testable. Only things known to reduce artery plagued is HIIT exercise and low calories and that is only by a small amount. However as Gil suggested Dr Esselstyn's diet could work by dilating the arteries more . It could also stop any new growth, so indeed be a very propilactic . It seems any diet low in calories - plant , keto, carnivore, med etc is safer for heart - as get used and mopped up more as body is hungry for energy . Fibre is also good for cardiovascular health My take The Mediterranean is a great diet that allows a lot of flexibility, If worried about EVOL , nuts , avocado , dial it back solely for taste. Secondly why restrict your diet and happiness in life if all your medical markers show you are at very low risk. If you are a high risk , then maybe his diet is well worth considering . Less than 1% make it to 100 ( more like 0.01% ( 1 in 10000) . More important to have a pretty good flexible diet , exercise ( strength and cardio ) and have things to do and people to meet . Just plan to be strong as possible to live to 90. Get your bloods checked and for the common cancers in your country. Certain exercises like HIIT can make an older heart like that of one 20 years younger. I think it what he said was true it should have garnered a lot of research . Anyway should know in next 10 years as more science done

[@ReluctantPost]

The FMD effect of olive oil wasn’t even consistent if it was eaten with other typical antioxidant food sources. Diet war people always exaggerate effect size and conditions towards whatever their bent is when interpreting results. His studies have also not been replicated nor compared directly with the many varieties of the Med diet. Additionally, we have no population on earth eating that way to obtain long-term data on epidemiologically and without any B-12 supplementation, etc.

[@robertusga]

You are completely missing the point. Esselstyn only has mechanistic speculation when it comes to the effect of olive oil, while ignoring the actual outcome data in many studies disproving his point. That's how science works. Shame on Dr. Esselstyn for choosing his vegan agenda over science. Focus on the data folks, not on the guru.

[@thetackroomtx]

This is why I love watching your channel. I moved to a plant based diet 8 yrs ago when I was 56 - because- I have really high LP(a) and did not believe statins were the answer. I only weight at that time 98 lbs( struggled putting on weight) It improved my heath dramatically but I know we need fat in our diet to keep things working and I never bought into the NO fat mantra that a lot of plat based influencers preach. Thank you again for the great information.

[@colinmurphy3478]

Esseylstein isn't no fat. He's low fat. Especially for people recovering from heart disease.

[@sangeetasharma5435]

Diet is very individualized thing. Only thing we know for sure is that eat unprocessed food and do exercise. Local and organic if possible. Wash your food properly to remove pesticides. Add some fermented food if you are vegan. Have vitamin d and some omega 3 fatty acids. Avoid things you are allergic to.

[@colinmurphy3478]

@@sangeetasharma5435 Wrong. Whole food plant based diet has the best results across populations. There is no reason to include animal products high in sat fat and cholesterol while missing out on fibre and antioxidants. And you don't need fermented food if you are vegan. Prebiotics are found in alot of plant based foods.

[@C_R_O_M________]

@@colinmurphy3478 believe that nonsense to your demise.

[@colinmurphy3478]

@@C_R_O_M________ Make a coherent argument and get back to me.

[@thedavidguy01]

A relative of a friend of mine fell out of an olive tree and seriously hurt himself. He was gathering olives to make olive oil so it’s obvious that olive oil is very dangerous to human health.

[@LoksaiM]

😂😂😂

[@HealthNut777]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@linmal2242]

My little olive tree is quite safe; only 3 feet high !

[@notsparctacus]

A much more scientific study than this crank's biased opinion piece.

[@notsparctacus]

You won the interwebs btw

[@plantbasedethos5726]

I live in the mediterranian and love olive oil, but it makes sense, whole foods is always better, all oils even cold press will tend to oxidize quite rapidly. Small bottles and high quality olive oil is surely better than most oils out there but not something essential

[@ColbyBarradas]

I appreciate these health reviews! Great video

[@paulgaras2606]

Gil and nic may be the most civil people on the internet

[@huntersport2919]

^yesssss

[@sectionalsofa]

Yes, and Simon Hill.

[@oolala53]

@@sectionalsofa Simon may be civil, but he seems biased to me.

[@HidingFromFate]

@@oolala53 Hmm, interesting. I find him to be as unbiased as you can possibly hope for from a health-related content provider. YMMV, I guess.

[@arizonanative7409]

Who is Gil?

[@danielwong8631]

Olive oil is less inflammatory than many common seed oils, but it still has some inflammatory effects due to omega-6 to omega-3 imbalances. If other health factors like exercise, sleep, and stress management are in check, it’s generally well tolerated. However, in a typical modern lifestyle filled with sedentary habits, screen time, and fast food, olive oil alone is not going to produce any significant health outcomes

[@mattnieri1202]

The vast majority of "olive oils" are cut with lots of seed oils so that could potentially be a huge factor.

[@linmal2242]

Yes, 'oils aint oils ' as the ad goes !!!

[@lightstar1053]

Italians have a nice long life span so obviously that guy was wrong. Maybe he was studying non cold pressed olive oil or pesticide sprayed one

[@nana-bt5db]

there are many types of olive oil a lot of them are mixed with other seed oils. which are not good for you

[@jimdaikh9381]

I can't thank you enough for doing this analysis. While I was skeptical about Esselysten and stuck to my Mediterranean diet, I had some concern and needed deeper analysis. I really appreciate your approach on what you're analyzing and showing the data. You're the best!

[@mudcatjones9366]

That settles it. I'm giving up all foods. There's nothing left to eat.

[@linmal2242]

Except chocolate !

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

Various meats and tons of dairy is nothing ?

[@yvonnedyer8370]

But meat

[@JFK129]

Great website and analysis!

[@AstonAcademia]

The Mediterranean Diet should be focused on foods such as vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fish. All of these foods baring the whole grains, are key sources of l-arginine, most know this amino acid for enhancing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. NO plays a crucial role in vascular health and CVD prevention by relaxing blood vessels and inhibiting platelet aggregation. Another point is that the Mediterranean diet has also been shown to reduce inflammatory markers associated with atherosclerosis, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and cell adhesion molecules. This reduction in inflammation leads to improvements in endothelial function, these plenty of studies demonstrating this, While olive oil is often associated with the Mediterranean diet, it's important to consider the type of olive oil and its potential effects. High-polyphenolic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has been shown to have beneficial effects on endothelial function. In a study by Njike et al. (2021), high-polyphenolic EVOO acutely enhanced endothelial function. In contrast, refined olive oil did not have the same effect. Another study by Cutruzzolà et al. (2021) found that EVOO improved vascular function compared to butter in individuals with type 1 diabetes. This is consistent across the board that when EVOO replaces butter inflammatory markers go down. While EVOO can offer potential health benefits, it's important to consider individual circumstances and dietary goals. If you are young, fit, physically active, and maintain an ideal body weight, incorporating small amounts of EVOO or other vegetable oils may not pose significant risks. However, for individuals struggling with weight management, the added calories from oil may make it more challenging to achieve weight loss goals. It's also essential to choose high-quality EVOO, as refined olive oils may not offer the same health benefits. The cost of EVOO can be a factor for some individuals, and it may be more cost-effective to focus on consuming a variety of whole fruits and vegetables in my opinion.

[@C_R_O_M________]

Anyone who thinks that meat is out of the menu of the Mediterranean diet is no Mediterranean him/herself.

[@guyfawkes5012]

i would avoid fish due to the plethora of bioaccumulated toxins

[@OTatime]

Hi Nic - Thanks for providing clarity on this topic. Nuanced insights rarely capture the same level of interest as those that are seemingly controversial. I’ve been following the Mediterranean diet for three years. Glad to hear that it may not be killing me after all. 😂😮

[@VeganLinked]

Ok, so, I think The problem here is flow mediated dilation advantages are long term advantages and Esselstyn is dealing with Patients who don't have time to get long term results. So if he has a patient who has serious heart disease the last thing they need is to exacerbate things in the moment because that could potentially lead to death. The problem I have with Esselstyn's Message is, what if You don't have heart disease? Studies aren't looking at this. Is a well planned whole food vegan diet for someone who has no cardiometabolic disease better with or without oil in the long run? That's what we need to know. And based on that we need a bit of a nuanced public message. But Esselstyn's message is purely based on his experience working with people who have severe heart disease it seems. Considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death I suppose he is erroring on the side of caution. But the problem is there are some healthy vegans who take this message too far and then put it out there and put fear mongering into the whole idea of oil. And if somebody has a tendency toward an eating disorder Oil can also become problematic even if they don't have heart disease, yet. I really appreciate you doing this video! I don't know why you think plant based people would have a problem with it though. Did you mean Whole Foods plant based no SOS people? Because when you just say plant based somebody might think all kinds of things. Thankfully you didn't say vegan because that would have been really vague but plant based is also very vague.

[@gwynj]

My EVOO - 60-75ml per day (4-5 tblsps). My cholesterol panel - TC 122, LDL 65, HDL 52, TRI 30, TRI/HDL 0.6. I'm mid-60s, excellent health, NO MEDS.

[@zakmatew]

Ikaria, Greece is one of the blue zones where people live over 100 years of age. Olive oil is a major part of their diet. This directly contradicts the claims that olive oil causes heart disease.

[@adriendarnoux475]

Hi nic, maybe i only notice now but the colors of the video are looking wayyyy better than a few months ago ! Makes it even more enuoyable to watch

[@Xingqiwu387]

Heart disease from olive oil? Whatever! With the world teetering on WWIII, the alleged dangers of olive oil do not rank very high on my list of things to worry about.

[@maestroharmony343]

I am coming to a realization that, if you overeat, any type of food is harmful, while if you somewhat "undereat" (by today's standards), no food can harm you.

[@markbeiser]

I'm coming to a similar conclusion! I've been on a rather strict elimination diet for about 6 months now, nothing but eggs, red meat and butter, for weight loss and inflammation relief. I've lost 30 pounds with no changes to my activity, and all the bad stuff that my doctor warned would get worse has gotten better, by a lot...

[@guyfawkes5012]

So you are dieting and symptoms improve due to weight loss.. But the question is: is it sustainable? Im guessing your lipids wont look good if you continue for a while.

[@patrickday4206]

​@@markbeisereggexacly

[@klaasdebruijn6576]

​@@guyfawkes5012he or she has been on this diet for 6 months - a lipids response should already have been there. If not, this person's body seems to be capable of effectively processing animal fat and protein. Is it the best diet? It might be limited on some nutrients. But it's clearly a better diet than whatever they were eating before. Good for them!

[@linmal2242]

@@markbeiser Yes, and all in moderation depending on your energy expenditure. Do you do heavy physical work, sport etc. then you need more 'fuel' ! So inputs relative to output !

[@gambucci1964]

Thank you, your professional reviews are a highlight in our polarized and interest financed world. Thank you so much

[@Dan-dg9pi]

Great video. I also note that Dr. Esselstyne didn't mention that at the population level, there is less heart disease in the areas that consume a lot of olive oil, so if he is right, they must be doing something else to compensate for the risk created by the oil. One quibble: at 8:18, I was sorta expecting a Sherlock Holmes tweed deerstalker hat to go with a somewhat larger magnifying glass.

[@Physionic]

I'll let the editing team know 😋

[@WILLIAMMALO-kv5gz]

I commented on Dr. Esselstyn's video that it's important to increase NO but didn't mention I disagree with his methods which mostly increase Allegoric acid. He also knocked out most of what I like to eat and drink and at age 73, healthy and looking much younger I'm not doing to bad so far. Thanks for this very well done analysis of the situation.

[@stormlord1984]

Nonsense. Both my parents and grandparents and me have been eating a Mediterranean diet for almost all of our lies. 0 heart issues. None of my grandparents died before their 90s either. So it's not Mediterranean diet or olive oil, but other factors the good doctor failed to take into account. I am tired of all of this. A few years back fat, then honey, then plants, then meat. Keto is healthy. No Paleo is healthy. Fat. Don't fast. It seems that if we follow what doctors say, we will need photosynthesis to survive. Unless doctors start to take this seriously, we won't. And you'll have terrible misinformation actually damaging lives.

[@aurapopescu1875]

I eat a Ketogenic Carnivore diet. Reversed pre-diabetes, NAFLD, and other chronic issues. Zero heart disease.

[@MrBoxinaboxinabox]

And plenty of people have parents that smoked into their 90s and never got lung cancer. But we know smoking causes lung cancer.

[@digitalperson108]

@@MrBoxinaboxinaboxwow that is a massively false equivalency if I ever saw one.

[@polycrystallinecandy]

While it's true that the Mediterranean diet is healthy, anecdotes like yours can't be used to draw any conclusions. There are many genetic factors that inhibit or hasten development of heart disease independent of diet. We know Mediterranean diet is healthy because of the large amount of scientific evidence, including RCTs, not because of anecdotes.

[@MrBoxinaboxinabox]

@@digitalperson108 I hope you aren't assuming that I think a Mediterranean diet is unhealthy, because if you do then you made that up.

[@VeganLinked]

lol, I LOVE THAT THUMBNAIL! I can't watch this right now, but I can't resist.

[@Physionic]

Haha, thanks :)

[@VeganLinked]

Nick, now you need to do one on that newer study, the 4-week crossover one that Dr Neal Barnard with PCRM and others have covered. Mic the Vegan also covered it but I think he was in a rush because he's overseas. I don't like how anyone has covered it. It's leaving people walking away thinking oil is bad. But the people in that study had a BMI of 30 i think and heart disease and the doctors that covered it and Mic didn't even go into the potential of flow mediated dilation in the long run. It's just another case of I want to know how it might be advantageous for somebody who doesn't have cardiometabolic disease, who isn't overweight, doesn't have a eating disorder, and is overall healthy. Also the source and kind of oil, is it legit, high polyphenol count, not rancid, etc. It would be cool if you also checked out what Bryan Johnson is doing, he adds oil to every meal but it's a quality EVOO ​@@Physionic

[@juliankenning]

A lot of old Ikarians beg to differ.

[@C_R_O_M________]

Like VERY old! Arguably the level of (no) stress on that island is also a huge contributor but if we were to assume a mechanistic relationship between olive oil intake and heart disease, I think it's not there therefore I believe he spews nonsense.

[@ola-fq4hv]

Well done Physionic))) Thanks so much.

[@zeddy_me]

Thank you. I shall in future disregard whatever I come across from this Dr Esselstyn.

[@mikelautermilch8939]

But, Esselstyn's basis for claiming the Med diet causes heart disease is not just that study; it's that study combined with other studies. He himself was involved in one study in which participants ate a whole-food plant-based diet that was extremely low fat, and no one who stuck to the diet had a cardiac event.

[@linmal2242]

For how long? Heart attacks happen over 'lifetimes' ! And 'stresstimes' !

[@neilquinn]

Esselstyn's diet is so strict it just seems totally unsustainable and absolutely miserable for a lifetime. I can't imagine taking that approach.

[@frankchen4229]

it's meant for heart disease / stroke patients

[@ericdahl2915]

@@frankchen4229 it's meant for profit

[@haukedressel310]

I've been following Dr. Esselstyn's recommendations for 14 years now, i.e. whole foods plant-based, no animal products and no oil. I don't know what exactly oil or especially olive oil does to my endothelium, however I know that for me it's the only way to keep my cholesterol below 150 mg/dl without any medication. If I include only a few drops of oil in my diet, it will raise above that for several days. (I have my own device for measuring total cholesterol.) So to me it doesn't matter exactly how Dr. Esselstyns diet keeps me safe from heart attacks, for me it suffices that it does this. In contrast to all my cousins, I am now in in my late fifties and have no issues with atherosclerosis at all.

[@Cheese-0x]

As a European I have a hard time understanding what's meant with Mediterranean diet. From what I gathered it means a high amount of vegetables fish and olive oil. Yet in reality Mediterranean food also includes plenty of butter, meat and cheese. The biggest difference to a standard American diet is imo that it has less fried food and that the sauces are simpler.

[@betzib8021]

Well he was right as far as my body is concerned.. I could not regress plaquing until I stripped all overt fats from my diet. No nuts no seeds no avocados no oil. I had to stop all of it.

[@winc06]

Well thank you for that careful and thoughtful analysis.

[@PeterQuentercrimsonbamboo]

How the heck can a medical doctor, with a lifelong background in medicine, make such claims about a study when the flaws in the study are so blatantly obvious to even the untrained non-medical normal citizen !?!

[@royking7298]

Yet another excelent analysis. Thanks SO MUCH! In Portugal the Portuguese name Carvalho is pronounced Carvalio; with accent on second "a".

[@spurgendahl]

11:35 This (a purely plant based diet reversing cardiovascular disease) is quite correctly dr. Esselstyns primary point of view, as you respectfully refer to. Such a diet would normally, as a very boring one, be totally unachievable for most of us, who wish to live as healthy as possible for the rest of our lives.

[@proteinioutlet6218]

Great vid as always ❤

[@ricodelta1]

These days, I live on a steady diet of air and ice cubes

[@mosquitocoast25]

Yeah but air of course causes oxygenation, stick to the ice cubes.

[@LuVanBramer]

My grandfather. Ate bacon and eggs every day. Drank two quarts of beer smoked camel cigarettes. Outside of a cold never was sick died just before his 90 th birthday

[@joedirt1965]

Esselstyn does advocate a true low fat diet for those with heart disease and he may still be correct with that advice.

[@Stefan_Doz]

Depends on the persons genetics

[@guyfawkes5012]

Agreed, probably because of lower LDL with no oil as this recent study shows doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.035034

[@mkvalor]

Great content and analysis. And also, I like the outro music!

[@Physionic]

Much appreciated!

[@walter1824]

Simply not true. What's the alternative then, Processed food and Seed Oils ?!?! Unless Olive Oil burns due to it's low smoking point and gets toxic. And Nightshade fruits contain Lectins, what else can be bad ?

[@mattg7977]

Dr. E advocates whole food plant based and no oils, so that's his suggested alternative.

[@arihaviv8510]

Lots of steamed veggies

[@wallflower6942]

Smoke point and burn point have nothing to do with eachother. You can heat EVOO to over the smoke point and the oil itself doesnt neccesarily oxidize. Turns out that olive oil is one of the oils less likely to oxidize at high temps. Also, seed oils are fine: neutral at worse, healthy at best.

[@aurelienb9109]

Olives, whole plant foods...

[@frankchen4229]

The whole olive.... Are you even fking listening?

[@coffeetalk924]

Doubt the medeteranians would be living so long consuming lots of daily olive oil if he's right

[@reason3581]

A several years long clinical study directly comparing the Esselstyn diet and the Esselstyn diet plus Olive Oil would be interesting.

[@guyfawkes5012]

In the meantime you might find this recent study interesting, showing lower LDL with no olive oil doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.035034

[@reason3581]

@@guyfawkes5012 I have seen the study. The no oil group group consumed a lot less calories. That might have something to do with it, don’t you think?

[@guyfawkes5012]

@@reason3581 yea unfortunately we wont know until they control for it. I think increased sat. fat intake could explain it. However essentially it doesn't matter. If no oil means you automatically cut 500 cal out of your diet and this gives you health benefits than it would be a no brainer. So for severe CVD patients that need to lower their LDL fast its still relevant.

[@reason3581]

@@guyfawkes5012 Yes, if I had severe blockages and wanted to avoid a bypass operation, an Ornish / Esselstyn type diet might be my best bet given what we know at the moment. And even if it turns out olive oil has some positive longevity / long term health effects for people without heart disease, I would guess the optimal amount is lower than 4 tbsp.

[@mybjj9643]

While Esselstyn's interview is disturbing, due to his biased approach, it creates the opportunity for many future videos. Are avocados really harmful? Nuts? Seeds? Fish? I'm grateful to you, Dr. Gil and others for doing such a good job at cutting through the misinformation and delivering science based content.

[@jhaduvala]

Water can kill you.

[@dialectic5012]

Outstanding critique!

[@Jessica-kk1cz]

I’m a big fan of Dr. Esselstyn, to the point that though I do eat a little meat, eggs, fish and dairy, I focus on unprocessed and plant based diet. But I completely agree that this was the inaccurate conclusion by him to draw. Thank you for disseminating the data. I think Harvard Medical has also done several studies that have shown the positive impact of an unprocessed, plant focused diet as well, be it Mediterranean or similar, including olive oil.

[@megzzcellent]

I was so relieved when you talked about the other studies on long term effects of olive oil. I've been using olive oil for years and I just love it! Thanks for the enlightening content you put out! I appreciate how you dissect and explain research, including articles that may be misleading depending on how it's interpreted. I also like how you stress the importance to include multiple sources.

[@Physionic]

That's the goal, Meg. I'm glad you got something from it.

[@Reasons-to-be-Vegan]

Yep he told you what you wanted to hear. Keep check your LDL and APo(a)

[@zentzu4003]

take a olive, squeeze it, juice comes out... it's pretty natural... this has to be the first time I've ever heard olive oil spoken negatively about

[@darkhorseman8263]

Depends if the olive oil is diacylglycerol or triacyglycerol rich. Comes down to processing. Also depends on the level of nitrated oleic acid.

[@comancheflyer4903]

Olive oil should not be processed. I get mine from my neighbour's farm. Olives freshly picked and then cold pressed.

[@BasedInBrazil]

Organic non GMO Canola Oil is much better for you as well.

[@pimacanyon6208]

excellent analysis! many thanks!

[@Psartz]

I've taken a firm stance to eliminate oils and fats from my diet, which has rapidly brought down my triglycerides and LDL levels. I have complete confidence in the health choices I've made, regardless of what anyone else might think.

[@galahadthreepwood]

There's no evidence that lowering LDL has any benefit whatsoever. It is prioritised because big pharma has profitable toxins that can lower it. I'll stick to my high-fat carnivore and I don't give a fig about LDL

[@directajith]

Then what diet are you on now?

[@Psartz]

@@directajith i do low fat and oil,hight plant protein diet.such as tofu,nuts,legumes,vital wheat gluten,lentils,textured plant protein,defatted soya and peanut flour recipes.i still add some olive oil in some recipes.

[@DerekFrazier2014]

Thank you. You do fantastic analysis of research conclusions. This is needed so you don’t get caught up in the media hype that can be produced from one research study.

[@Physionic]

Thanks Derek

[@kr23777]

Most of the studies say he is wrong.

[@ClayHales]

I think a big factor on that Mediterranean diet study is that it had a higher compliance. Not only did it have positive outcomes, it is something that people can do.

[@sojournern]

It's worth saying that a plant based diet can include olive oil and nuts and other fats

[@Stefan_Doz]

Olives are plants?

[@oolala53]

Dr. E doesn't say no fat, just no processed concentrated ones. But that is not supported in so many people's lives.

[@HidingFromFate]

@@Stefan_Doz fruit, so yes.

[@Stefan_Doz]

@@HidingFromFate I know I was not being serious.

[@HidingFromFate]

@@Stefan_Doz Oh, ok. You can never really tell for sure these days. 🤔😀

[@stevelanghorn1407]

Brilliant summary! Thanks👍

[@frederickkrewson638]

Excellent video. I think Dr. Esselstyn is a national treasure - but your analysis of the data seems very clear.

[@PetrilloCinema]

Damn this is a great video. Nutrition made simple and your videos are top tier.

[@jumboon]

I am from the Mediterranean and confirm the "Mediterranean diet" is just bs.

[@plantbasedethos5726]

Yes absolutely! Most people in the mediterranian don't even follow the diet anymore.

[@arihaviv8510]

It is just a name given to a specific eating pattern. Same for the "nordic diet"

[@ratghost25]

REally?? I was in Italy 3 years ago and I saw lots and lots of people still consuming olive oil. I saw several stores selling nothing but olive oil. I saw high consumption of eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, peppers of all variety, wine, fish, squid, otctopus, clams, shrimp, scallops, bread, chocolate, etc.... Pretty darn Mediterranean to me.

[@Edvenchers]

I was surprised he does not suggest eating nuts not because they are unhealthy, but because he thinks people can’t use self-control and will therefore over-eat nuts.

[@guyfawkes5012]

Esselstyn successfully treats patients with severe CVD, and to decrease LDL quickly as much as possible, it still makes sense to stay away from olive oil as this recent study shows doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.035034. Otherwise EVOO consumption seems good.

[@williamhenry3337]

Henry Kissinger's favorite foods were bratwurst (sausage) and wiener schnitzel (deep fried veal cutlets). Being German he most likely washed it all down with a beer. He lived to be 100 years old.

[@mbarlev]

Are you suggesting that on Mediterranean he would have live to be 120 and on Esselstein plant based he would have become immortal? :) To each his own and what works for one may be poison for most. It is all a game of probabilities and statistics, so a sample of one proves nothing.

[@karenohanlon4183]

He had loads of dosh and got to fly all round the world He wasn't working two jobs and eating cornflakes.

[@oolala53]

Individual results are practically irrelevant as there are too many variables. The real truth is that most of the people born in the same year as Kissinger were dead for a couple of decades at least before he died.

[@oleksijm]

Beer and genocide were the secret of his longevity

[@billfish5847]

Thank you for such a well presented and credible analysis. The takeaway seems to be that more study is needed to get to a more reasoned conclusion, and I hope it is done in the years ahead. I wonder how the Ornish diet is affected by these points as well.

[@zamamkhize6579]

It's taken me 2 years to realise that the picture is in fact NOT of flowers.

[@TheVafa95]

Oh. So the picture has been there all along? Noticed it on this talk.

[@hepgeoff]

Would love to see a study comparing Esselstyn's no oil, no fat plant based diet, to the mediterranean diet. I would also like to see how long most people on Esselstyn's diet actually stay on the diet. It seems too strict to maintain for very long.

[@ChopperChad]

Some in the comments are so obnoxiously certain of themselves

[@jozefwoo8079]

Yup, it's amazing

[@chuckleezodiac24]

ikr? meat bad. plants good. end of discussion!

[@jozefwoo8079]

@@chuckleezodiac24 or the other way around