The French Paradox: is Saturated Fat a hoax??

The French eat a lot of saturated fat yet they have low risk of heart disease. Does this French Paradox mean saturated fat is harmless and scientists have been wrong all along? A look at the science behind the French Paradox and saturated fat and heart disease.
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Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia
References:
1-www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/1...
2-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
3-www.lycotec.com/wp-content/up...
4-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
5-www.niussp.org/health-and-mor...
6-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
7-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
8-europepmc.org/article/med/208...
9-www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/...
Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 The French Paradox
1:14 Digging deeper
3:03 Competing theories
3:56 Ecological data
6:23 Stronger science
7:26 Strongest science

[@pcfreakx]

Just want to say I'm a former research biologist and a bit of a health/nutrition nut and Dr Gil, you have the best evidence based channel out there. Always great work on your part.

[@RnRDS]

I totally agree with your comment.Thanks Dr. Carvalho for sharing evidence-based info and for giving recommendations based on statistically-significant results coming from high-quality studies.

[@asklepios2221]

Why former?

[@user-wh5ox3cz3c]

Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway outlive any other countries in the world. . Australia is not considered to be a blue zone and a third of all Aussies are obese, and the only country that outlives Australia is Japan by 1 year only all the aforementioned countries outlive the French

[@ramieskola7845]

Best channel? So you have reviewed competently the content of all channels on the topic? I doubt.

[@spurgendahl]

@@asklepios2221 Maybe because he/she is enjoying the pension now?

[@NoName-cx3gk]

The longer life expectancy in France may be partly attributed to their shorter work week, which is typically only 35 hours.

[@rw9347]

I advocate for that 👍

[@ktm4042]

Exactly so many factors in each different culture, environment, diets, etc. Hard to pinpoint some things

[@cg8397]

No, the shorter work week is recent. The French had better life expectancy even during the last century with longer work weeks.

[@robhingston]

maybe All diets work, and it really is just about calories and the French consume less calories

[@TheRB888]

Anecdotally, what I noticed living in France for almost 10 years, and returning regularly, is firstly, the variety and choice of food available when compared to UK. It would usually be at least 2 to 3 weeks before we would repeat the same menu. secondly most people would only eat two main meals a day at table, with no snacks in between.

[@georgedovas]

I would also posit that the culture of no snacking and only eating two main meals per day might be a factor in The French Paradox

[@parlor3115]

@@georgedovas Oh no, not the snacks

[@GeometryDasher-ng2bc]

I also believe (from combining personal opinion/experience in France with what has been said on “Nutrition Made Simple!” channel) that the consumption of other macronutrients: unsaturated fats in olive oil/fish, and especially carbohydrates in bread/baguettes (a staple in every meal I have in France) plays a role in lower risk of CVD. It’s known now that risk comes less-so from the quantity of saturated fat, but moreso from the proportion/percentage of your caloric intake (from “Nutrition Made Simple!”). People who more likely developed risks of CVD from saturated fat had a ~10% caloric intake of it (number varies for different people). I personally believe this proportion perspective of saturated fats explains this French paradox. If your diet is 5% saturated fat, but someone else is eating 9% saturated fat, the person with* 5% of their caloric intake as saturated fat have a lower risk than the person with 9%, even if the 5% is a higher quantity of saturated fat than the 9%. When my mother is in the UK, she has a harder time dealing with saturated fat intake since it’s difficult here to find good-quality fish, olive oil and bread as opposed to France, so we end up eating significantly less of these. Anyway, those are my personal takeaways. Though as he’s mentioned in this video, it is only until we have RCTs with robust methodologies that we can then start making scientific evidence-based conclusions.

[@danielrogers6862]

Question do you guys eat a lot of fiber?

[@TheRB888]

@@danielrogers6862 In my experience, and I generalise, the French seem to eat a lot more fibre (esp. fresh vegetables) than the Brits.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

One hypothesis for the French paradox I've seen is vitamin K2. French cheese, goose and duck, etc. are rich in this vitamin that gets calcium out of your soft tissues like your arteries. Without plaque deposits, the saturated fat can't form blood clots. This is also may be why many high saturated fat tribes do fine, because game meat and grassfed livestock are far higher in K2 than conventional, and they exercise all day.

[@MrSnazzy682]

What are French peoples’ LdL cholesterol? 😊It must be through the roof though, no?

[@EbonyPope]

I'm not really a fan of Dr. Greger but he said that it is probably due to the fact that the physicians underreport cardiovascular diseases on the death certificate by up to 20 percent. Do you know if that is true?

[@AIKnowYou]

The answer is actually very obvious and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned. Any time there is a problem with disease or death, the French simply go out and protest until it is resolved.

[@michelle-plantbaseddogmom2935]

😂

[@janejustin1788]

lol

[@LucyFre]

You mean so called " French" do it...

[@henrywarner3585]

So true!!

[@wackthegood8884]

The subject is interesting, but this video asks more questions than it answers.

[@Simlatio]

An engineer can solve all your problems with known information, a physicist can create you more problems with unknown information. Science in action.

[@Thejoeordinary1]

Sometimes I think we’re all going to die no matter what we eat

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

we are. it's the when and the how we have some control over

[@Thejoeordinary1]

@@NutritionMadeSimple I’m not scared of living or dying. It’s that little crossover period that has me concerned lol

[@rjmclean1979]

Sometimes? 😂

[@booboobumbum6602]

👏👏👏

[@MisterHowzat]

I don't know about you, but I'd rather not die of a myocardial infarction or a stroke or complications due to diabetes. Like the good doctor says, we can have some control over how we die, and what we eat is one way to have some control.

Thank you Gil for another great video. As a French man myself, let me tell you this: in the US, a food contest is about who eats the most. Here, it’s about who cooks the best! Ha ha ha. Cheers (and not cheese) from France.

[@esotericsolitaire]

I am quite sure that gluttony is a cause for cardiovascular disease incidence in the US.

[@cristianionascu]

Additionally, a significant portion of the population, the individuals being surveyed, most likely reside in urban areas where car ownership is not essential and in some cases can even be a hindrance. Meaning, they do walk quite a bit daily. And yes, many of us enjoy cooking, I certainly do.

[@esotericsolitaire]

@@cristianionascu I like French cuisine, though at times, it can be a bit rich for me. I grew up eating lots of whole, unprocessed foods. My parents bought meat locally, butchered their own oftentimes and kept a large, varied vegetable garden. We were always outdoors too. My folks were farmers. However, many people in the South stay inside because of the heat and bugs. There is also a stigma (quite weird) associated with bike riding. It's a "sign" that you're poor to them, too poor to own a car and possibly even homeless. Folks in the South carry a lot of cultural baggage, as well as the bodily kind, but they are slowly being educated. I hope. It's quite different in the larger US cities and particularly the PNW. People love the outdoors and ride all kinds of bikes routinely.

[@brucejensen3081]

​@@esotericsolitaireonly gluttony for awful food. Look at the the macro intake of the US 100 yrs ago to now, very similar. People were lean then, but they weren't eating less.

[@esotericsolitaire]

@brucejensen3081 my relatives ate three large, well-balanced meals per day. The men were thin. The women? Not so much. My grandmother worked hard around the house but didn't do the extensive walking that the men did. Home-bound women who have borne a lot of children are often overweight.

[@dvvolynkin]

📝 *Summary::* *The French Paradox* 🇫🇷 00:00:00 The French paradox refers to the low risk of heart disease in France despite a high intake of saturated fat. 🔍 00:00:11 Scientists studied 40 countries and found that higher intake of saturated fat and cholesterol correlated with more deaths from coronary heart disease. 📈 00:00:44 France and Finland were outliers in the study, with France showing lower mortality and Finland showing higher mortality. 🌱 00:01:21 The study suggested that the French paradox might be explained by increased consumption of plant-based foods, including small amounts of liquid vegetable oils and more vegetables. 🍷 00:03:07 Several theories have been proposed to explain the French paradox, including red wine, cheese, smaller portion sizes, gardening, and exercise. *Key Insights* 🔍 00:00:00 The French paradox refers to the low risk of heart disease in France despite a high intake of saturated fat, leading to extensive scientific study and multiple proposed explanations. ⚠️ 00:03:53 Ecological associations, which involve comparing entire countries or populations, are confounded by numerous variables and are notoriously unreliable for establishing cause and effect. *Limitations of Ecological Associations* 🌎 00:03:53 Ecological associations involve comparing entire countries or populations and are confounded by numerous variables such as genetics, standard of living, health care, pollution, and culture. ⚠️ 00:05:03 Ecological associations are notoriously unreliable for establishing cause and effect due to the multitude of differences between countries and populations. 🚬 00:05:22 The example of high smoking rates in France highlights the complexity of heart disease risk factors and the multifactorial nature of the disease. 📊 00:07:18 While demographic studies within a country provide cleaner data than ecological associations, they still involve numerous variables and limitations. 🧪 00:07:39 Cohort studies and randomized controlled trials provide much stronger data sets for understanding the effects of dietary factors on heart disease risk. *Nuanced Understanding of Saturated Fat* 📉 00:07:52 Data from cohort studies and randomized controlled trials show that people consuming large amounts of saturated fat have higher risks of heart disease. ⚖ 00:07:58 Moderating saturated fat intake tends to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially when compared to more cardioprotective foods. 🔬 00:08:06 The amount and source of saturated fat, as well as the comparison with other foods, are important factors in understanding its impact on heart disease risk. ------------------ *Summarized by TubeSum Chrome Extension*

[@wallerwolf6930]

Thank you for these thought games on the topic of heart health! The example of Japan (Okinawa) in particular shows the connection between eating habits and exercise very clearly. The people there work (physically) into old age. Of course, there are probably other factors (environment, for example) that have an influence on our heart health, but these are probably the biggest ones.

[@nicolabenson1155]

Actually there may be no paradox: Law and Wald in BMJ May 1999 state that French doctors under report deaths from Ischemic heart disease by about 20%, which would account for much of the apparent paradox.

[@AnlamK]

This is the "resolution" of the paradox that Greger suggests as well.

[@RiDankulous]

@@AnlamK I didn't watch this whole video and don't know if it's mentioned: something I saw before about the French Paradox: young people are eating far less healthy and matching the standard Western diet closely, but their deaths have not happened yet since they are young. It takes decades when a society changes it's diet from mostly whole plants to the standard western diet, and during that period, there is discontinuity in death rates.

[@allencrider]

Thank you!

[@brianrcVids]

Yes, I don't know why this wasn't mentioned in the video...

[@dannyspitzer1267]

Thanks for the info

[@marcuswelby9601]

Those countries eat way less ultra prcessed foods than in United States.

[@armandbasilico9002]

And far less sugar

[@FFWrench]

I appreciate the video Gil! Thanks!! Great video!

[@breno3635]

Fantastic video Gil

[@Rollonator]

"Everyone and their mom had a theory" had me giggle. I love this channel for its content and the objectivity it holds itself accountable to.

[@paulgaras2606]

The study looked at deaths from cvd. You can’t die of cvd if you die from cancer. France happens to have a very high cancer rate.. That doesn’t explain Finland but it would be interesting to see how the rates look when you take smokers out of the data set, since cancer may be more likely to skew the data in smoking populations.

[@Sophal27]

The cancer rate is very high amongst french men because of smoking but very low with french women who have one of the highest life expectancy in the world.

[@JakeRichardsong]

Saturated fat still matters. It is not logical that if no one in France died from cancer, then these same people would all die from cardiovascular disease. There are more than two causes of death.

[@xmonikerhotmailcom]

@@Sophal27 Women have less heme iron because of the monthly bleed so are protected until menopause from their poor diets whereas men are not.

[@Reeeeves]

⁠@@Sophal27Should look into Blue Zones if you're interested in life expectancy.

[@sophiekarnak3936]

But French men die of cancer and alcohol-related causes at much higher rates than in other countries, and when French data was matched to WHO data, it appeared that French doctors were underreporting CVD deaths by up to 20%. When those are factored in, the "paradox" disappears.

[@icantseethe7680]

How did you feel writing this comment? Who do you think you helped. The only thing that needs to be factored in is obesity.

[@sophiekarnak3936]

I felt it was helpful to point out, as Dr. Greger did in a video 8 years ago, that the French paradox disappears when you look at (1) the issue of underreporting and (2) the fact that, compared, to other European countries, French men are more likely to die younger before CVD has a chance to kill them: "Dr. Michel de Lorgeril of Lyons, a scientist with the French National Center for Scientific Research, said a comparison of data of official statistics from French cities with similar World Health Organization cause-of-death data shows that the French underreported coronary deaths. De Lorgeril said that the WHO data was 75 to 90 percent higher than the local statistics. He also analyzed alcohol-related deaths, finding that French men were more likely to die of gastrointestinal cancers than in other countries, and French men were far more likely to commit suicide, suffer violent deaths or die in accidents than men in other European countries. Dr. Ian Graham, professor of epidemiology at Trinity College, Dublin, explained that de Lorgeril's statistics seemed to indicate that the low rate of coronary deaths in France might be due 'to competing causes of death' ... i.e., many more French men die from alcohol-related causes before they have the opportunity to die of heart disease."

[@barbarabrindza723]

@@icantseethe7680 It helps a lot, hence 19x as many likes as your rude comment.

[@barbarabrindza723]

10x.

[@RickyVis]

@@sophiekarnak3936 French men live 6 years longer than American men and only 1 year less than Italian men.

[@marclevesque7257]

Excellent and interesting as usual thank you

[@advertiserfriendlyusername5362]

Reject higher quality evidence, embrace ecological associations!

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

Posts painting of Joseph Ducreux.

[@anabolicamaranth7140]

They protest, they engage in revolution, they work out their frustrations against the System.

[@adriendarnoux475]

They spend more Time on strike also

[@halfers83]

Napoleon army walk from France all the way in Moscow, Russia. Frenchmen love to walk long distance.

[@olwill1]

@@halfers83 You do know that he got back with (what?) 10% of the men he started with? General Winter came through for Mother Russia, again.

[@toxx1220]

Hi Gil, I have a topic idea for a future video. Maybe you could make one about chewing? I feel like its something thats not talked about enough. Anyways I hope you have a great day!

[@georgeford6439]

Dad grew up during the depression and ate what they could. Survived WW2 and didn't like cheese because thats all they ate for 6 months while in combat.He had gout, but ate a lot of veggies, fruits ,nuts, smoked on and off for 15 years or so and no drinking. (Devout Southern Baptist!) He also ate bacon and sausage every day for breakfast, late lunch, or early dinner. He lived to be 105.

[@esotericsolitaire]

One of my great-great grannies smoked her corn cob pipe while doing a dip each evening, just relaxing on her porch. She ate like a bird and was always pencil-thin. She lived to be 92, which is pretty good for 19th century Appalachia. Another man, whom I knew as a child, was considered to be a hermit and true old-timey mountain man. He ate about once a week and gorged when he did so. My dad always said he ate like a snake, stuffing himself to last for days. He regularly smoked a pipe too and lived well into his 80s. My thoughts are overeating is the main culprit. We keep circling back to what good old common sense has said all along: Exercise moderation.

[@dyldabeast9176]

Cool stories bros

[@saschaesken5524]

Gout? Uric acid is a strong antioxidant

[@antogehtdichnixan6001]

Because it is about the light environment and not food.

[@Parker_Miller_M.S.]

Short sweet and to the point, love it! (I would have liked the video anyways even if it was 30 minutes long also, perhaps if there's even more nuance here that could happen)

[@davidmurray2829]

Great as always 👌

[@hystrionic]

Studies suggest aged cheeses might have specific benefits compared to other dairy. I can't find a good study comparing high aged vs high fresh cheese consumption directly. I wonder if this is the missing piece.

[@henrikmadsen2176]

Maybe it’s based on the fact that cheese is the fermented food. Could indicate that it is better to drink buttermilk than milk.

[@cyberfunk3793]

@@henrikmadsen2176 Or just fat free milk or fat free kefir. That is what I have recently started doing again: drinking fat free milk, with muesli and coffee etc. when I previously just didn't drink milk at all and just had soy or other alternatives with coffee.

[@hystrionic]

@@henrikmadsen2176 yes, I thought it was the obvious that I was discussing the possibility that the bacteria are explaining the paradox. I guess it wasn't if you felt the need to point it out.

[@bgrune1]

Here is an idea for a video. As a vegan I occasionally eat processed foods such as vegan cheese that often contain coconut fat. How dangerous are these plant based saturated fats compared to animal based saturated fats?

[@BM1982.V2]

I know a lot of the studies that show coconut oil to be beneficial use a control group with butter. Coconut oil always comes out as good when compared to butter.

[@educational-101]

I hypothesize that animal-derived saturated fat consists predominantly of long-chain fatty acids, whereas coconut-derived saturated fat comprises mainly of medium-chain fatty acids. The length and structure of the fatty acid chains could influence their metabolic effects and potential health benefits, if any.

[@veganfortheanimals6994]

They're better than animal fats, but still keep them to a minimum

[@aryangod2003]

They're not necessarily better all types of saturated fat should be avoided. Saturated of most types raises you're all cause mortality and cvd risk including probably coconut oil and trans fats are much worse

[@tomunderwood4283]

@@veganfortheanimals6994 Source?

[@alexm7310]

Love France, fabulous supermarkets & excellent sardine tin art! Oh, and their bread, wine & cheese is superb too ❤😊

[@FluxNomad678]

Well saturated fat seems to be the main subject here. I'm curious about the effects of sugar on these populations. And longevity

[@hardcoreherbivore4730]

Are you hoping to claim, that sugar is the cause for the saturated fat data?

[@stevencats7137]

He says it here and in other videos that refined carbs have similar negative health outcomes as diets high in saturated fat

[@Barb6106]

This is fascinating and so needed. The crazy trend of jumping on these random “facts” to say wine is good, butter is better, eat bread… blah blah. As you pointed out-Genetics, lifestyle etc.. all play a role and studies are too general. Excellent arguments here. I wish I had heard this years ago when I fell for The China Study. Changed my life-and not in a good way. Thanks so much for the very interesting and articulate facts. Love this channel.

[@xnoreq]

How did The China Study change your life in a bad way?

[@TommyShlong]

How did you alter your diet based on the China Study? I haven't read it but have read about it.

[@virginiemazy7054]

Same question: what changes did you make and why do you think that it wasn’t a good move ?

[@hananokuni2580]

The diet recommended in _The China Study_ isn't for everyone. Would Native Siberians be able to survive on it, despite countless generations of being meat-adapted?

[@ml3141]

Great information! Thanks you so much!!! 👍👍👍

[@dennisward43]

One comparison that never seems to get a look in is the neaness from the equator. For example, France is much nearer the equator than Finland and gets much more sun light and thereofre vitamin D. Even within a country North France v South France (mediterranean) may have markedly different health results, It could also be that those nearer the north pole needed more fats in the past than others and saturated meat fat was much more available than say, olive oil.

[@joesphbegley3088]

The death rate from Covid was three times higher in sunny Italy than in Norway. So vitamin D from sunshine didn’t help.

[@francescograssi4432]

Yes that's true. Also in Italy, the south traditionally has many more dishes rich in vegetables, fish and olive oil compared to the north, whose traditional dishes are mainly meat and butter based.

[@Guishan_Lingyou]

I have heard that the idea that saturated fat from dairy is unhealthy is being reconsidered, including for dietary guidelines. Is that true? Does the graph at 1:42 suggest that dairy is, in fact, unhealthy? I would be interested to learn more on this topic (especially if it doesn't involve me doing a lot of actual research ;-)

[@tomgoff7887]

The dairy industry continually funds 'research' designed to confuse the issue eg by comparing dairy to even unhealthier food stuffs. A Harvard study found "For dairy lovers, the good news is that various foods including full-fat dairy milk, yogurt, butter, cheeses, and cream were not found to increase heart disease risk (compared to a background diet that typically contains high amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugars). However, it is important to note that these foods were not found to decrease risk either. What did predict risk of cardiovascular disease was “fat swapping.” When dairy fat was replaced with the same number of calories from vegetable fat or polyunsaturated fat, the risk of cardiovascular disease dropped by 10% and 24%, respectively. Furthermore, replacing the same number of calories from dairy fat with healthful carbohydrates from whole grains was associated with a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease."

[@snake1625b]

I'm curious too, Harvard has an article about how saturated fat from milk doesn't increase risk for heart disease

[@accountname5626]

@@tomgoff7887how was cv risk calculated? What were the primary and secondary outcomes measured in the study?

[@tomgoff7887]

@@accountname5626 Full details are in the study 'Dairy fat and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 cohorts of US adults' published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Augst 2016.

[@heidisunshine2003]

Cheer to doctor Gil , he is a good man 🤩

[@michaelmackey754]

Great video!

[@fabienlehodey2683]

Do what you want eat what you want, we only live once and it goes fast, just enjoy and be kind to each others

[@esotericsolitaire]

I'm seeing that more and more each day. I go by how food makes me feel. The only thing I expect is to eat in such a manner that I feel good: Motivated, energetic and rested.

[@robz.3225]

I’d rather live longer and healthier so I can play with my grandkids, but you do you.

[@cg8397]

The YOLO approach works only if you have no children.

[@Sokko13]

Hi Gil, I'm a 55yo man with high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease. I am on meds but I still try to keep a healthy diet to mitigate as many risks as possible. I recently found your channel while looking for reliable info on seed oils. At this point I have watched dozens of your videos and I just wanted to take a second to say thank you. In a world full of disinformation, the effects can be devastating. You are providing such an amazing service for people trying to make smart choices about nutrition and health. Again, THANK YOU!

[@helderduarte213]

And is it working in improving your health mate?

[@Sokko13]

it is. @@helderduarte213

[@OmarTorrez]

As one of his traveled extensively in France, and in Finland. I can say that the French cuisine in general is far more varied and does include a lot more vegetables And also, I can say that consumption of vodka and spirits is much much higher in Finland . I can imagine this player role..

[@Joseph1NJ]

Fins do drink a lot!

[@spurgendahl]

The French binge their red wine, the Finns love their vodka - the simple truth that explains everything! 😉

[@OmarTorrez]

@spurgendahl Yes, but Finns ALSO bnge on wine, red or other AND vodka. ;-)

[@helenali4938]

Thats quite true what you say about veggies. In Finland the winters are long and summers short so people are low in vit-D also... that should also be taken in account I think. The low levels of vitamin-d maybe have somthing to do with addictions in general.🤔

[@marcjacobson757]

This video felt too brief and high-level to adequately address the complexity and history of the French Paradox and saturated fat. For example, there's much to be said about dietary patterns versus single foods or nutrients and the fact that - at least when the French Paradox was first coined - the French ate overall a much healthier diet; the fact that the data from France was not always reliable; the fact that Finland saw huge reductions in CVD after instituting a countrywide effort to reduce saturated fat intake; the varieties of saturated fatty acids and how they impact our biology.

[@oceanistoosmall]

Time lag doesn't apply here?

[@4plum]

So this is no answer yet as to why?

[@xmonikerhotmailcom]

The French paradox was from where the survey participants were chosen. People in the north ate far more animal products and had 4x more heart disease than those in the south that ate more beans and plants. That is the part not touched on here.

[@PeGeZoR]

​@@oceanistoosmall There is so much misinformation circulating about the Finland Karelia project which is what you're talking about. In these results people always failed to mention that the participants stopped smoking, drinking and reduced sugar consumption along with reduced fats. You simply can't single out saturated fats in this case.

[@HeySenthil]

There's a important distinction that I don't find in any study. Sugary food or even healthy fruits can be dangerous for people with diabetic. But inherently nothing wrong in a sugary fruit. Salt is needed but once you get blood pressure salt is very bad. So how we get there and how it affects you once you got there are two different things. Once fat metabolism (malabsorbtion) and cholesterol kicks in and how fat affects you will be two different things. So I believe saturated fat may not be inherently dangerous and it is multi factorial but once fat starts to act badly in our body all fats will trouble us. Whether saturated fats alone leads us there is a big question mark. Unlike saturated fat, transfat is inherently dangerous! So is processed food.

[@andrewnorris5415]

Finland also tops the milk consumption list. 60% more milk consumed than France. I read the effects of saturated fat in fermented dairy products like cheese is not so bad compared to milk and butter.

[@Joseph1NJ]

Yeah Zoe's been saying that and it seems a really odd thing to say, but I guess they have the data.

[@dan-qe1tb]

Thank you! Perhaps it's time I lowered my fluid milk consumption. I have been limiting my cheese consumption to try and keep my saturated fat at the recommended RDA amount which is about 18 grams. If it turns out not all saturated fats are created equal (and to be treated like a number on a chart), perhaps it's time I studied this in more detail. What I had found thus far was, red meat is being demonized the most. There's something in it, additional to the saturated fat, that increases diabetes risk. But, I hadn't needed that to make a decision. Beef has gotten so expensive, that eating low lard pork tenderloin instead, was a no brainer to me. I had noted little difference in my blood pressure and cholesterol over the years, changing my meat intake. I suspect it's because I had never been eating a lot of beef, pork or cheese.

[@yodaa7100]

@@Joseph1NJ I've also heard that in some Zoe podcast. I'd love a more in depth video about this phenomenon.

[@cyberfunk3793]

@@Joseph1NJ Why do you think it's odd? Maybe the benefits of fermentation simply partially or fully offset the damage from saturated fat in those products. Would seem rational explanation.

[@rblongfellow]

We don't know why exactly, but some speculate it has to do with milk globules staying intact with fermented dairy like cheese and yogurt that makes them less harmful.

[@themekfrommars]

I wonder if it's ferments, which for France could be traditionally-produced red wine, cheeses etc.

[@Neodynium.the_permanent_magnet]

To complexify the paradox even more, being French and travelling a lot I realize that the difference lies also in the quality of the products. I mean, vegetables are not equal worldwide. Also, the combination of ingredients plays a major role. Going to the US, my body tells me that the way the food is prepared and arranged, not good. I can eat the same amount of saturated food in France (than in the US), but prepared differently, with some vegetables prepared differently, and a glass of (good) red wine, and my body tells me: go on, I like that! A big difference, you said "culture", lies in education as well. In France we can assess if what we eat matches the body demand, and in what quantity. This is something we get very early in the education process.

[@MrSnazzy682]

What is “good” wine?

[@kn-xg4sr]

life expectancy in France and UK are very similar; UK die of coronary heart disease, france heart failure - a lot on diagnostic fashion

[@StarOnTheWater]

I don't know about Finland but French people basically eat only two proper meals a day, they tend to be less overweight and have an extremely high quality of food.

[@karolinaeigenmacht5433]

Dear Gil, please make a video about benefits of red light panels. I need to understand if it is worth investing into . And your info is reliable❤❤❤😊😊😊Thank you!

[@kestag2110]

Good stuff

[@DarthNoshitam]

So what was the answer?

[@dennisward43]

42

[@videoagogo1]

Sunlight/D3 & fortifying A2 milk with Vit K2 ... or Not

[@sophiekarnak3936]

Ironically, the answer isn't even mentioned in the video: according to the WHO, French doctors underreport CVD deaths by as much as 20% - if you redo the calculations based on more accurate numbers, the "paradox" disappears. NutritionFacts did a video on this 8 years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6mlnJJta7ZreLc

[@tom-qj6uw]

The answer was a)underreporting and b) time lag! A study by the WHO found out that French doctors tended to underreport CVD as cause of death by approximately 20%. Regarding the time lag I quote the researchers Malcolm Law and Nicholas Wald who wrote in 1999 "Consumption of animal fat and serum cholesterol concentrations increased only recently in France but did so decades ago in Britain. Evidence supports this explanation: mortality from heart disease across countries, including France, correlates strongly with levels of animal fat consumption and serum cholesterol in the past (30 years ago)...." And then there is c)much higher plant consumption .... And also d) .... And that is the problem with ecological data and the reason why we dismiss it when - as it is the case with saturated fat intake - me have much higher level of evidence! So basically the answer is that the question is wrong! ;-)

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Having lived in two different regions in France for multiple years, they have (or certainly had prior to 2000) a very different dietary pattern to the UK. First, most meals are multiple courses (between 2 and 4). Some days, it might be heavily animal based - cured meat and butter for a starter, steak with added butter (they call it beurre maître d’hôtel) as a main, cheese and then a dessert swimming in cream. Another day, it might be raw vegetables as a starter, some other meat as a main course, no cheese and a plain yoghurt for dessert. Vegetables were generally cooked in butter with added lardons of bacon for flavor. My vegetarian friends just knew they would have to pick them out as back then most French just could not compute the idea of vegetarian! Wine was largely consumed at every meal - even occasionally with breakfast ! That’s not to mention a gin or two as an aperitif and perhaps a cognac to finish! Eating on the go (sandwiches etc) was fairly infrequent and most people would go to a restaurant for lunch. Indeed, a common ‘benefit’ in those days were ‘restaurant vouchers’ with a nominal value usually half paid for by the employee and half by the employer! This made going for lunch extremely affordable. Thus, it’s not just what they ate but how they ate. Very different from the uk back in those days. It always makes me smile when people start trying to cite the ‘Méditerranean’ diet. Large parts of France are on the Mediterranean and I can assure anybody that they eat lots and lots of meat and cheese. They also like a glass of wine or three.

[@leviotten]

im interested in very low levels of wine consumption (2-3 Oz) at dinner time. Similarly Ive been eating a lot of olives and nuts, and ive re-introduced olive, corn, canola, and sesame oil back into my diet. As a T2 Diabetic I havent noticed much change in the nature of my spikes so long as I make sure to do around 25-30 minutes per day of extra exercise.

[@Liverpool-2004]

Finland also have problem with high alcohol consumtion.

[@easyox77]

Tobacco studies are too isolated, the diets of smokers have never been studied in people who experience autophogy on a daily basis.

[@hrobb8895]

Maybe it's the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk that leads to problems. Dairy products like cheese and yogurt have most of the lactose fermented out.

[@jackm.1628]

Where did you get the map at 0:32?

[@brianrcVids]

Why not mention the debunking of this "paradox" by Malcolm Law and Nicholas Wald in the British Medical Journal (1999)? The French were under reporting heart disease deaths, and they only recently increased their saturated fat consumption compared with other countries so there was a time-lag effect.

[@snake1625b]

You usually hear the pro saturated fat people say that it's not the high saturated fat that causes increased risk for cvd but rather high consumption of sf happens to be associated with higher bmi, excess calories, higher processed foods intake, lower exercise etc. do all of these studies that condemn sf control for all these variables? I think this should be it's own dedicated video. Cheers, great content as always!

[@anathardayaldar]

It's not a stretch to say everyone and their mother has a theory on it. All mothers have a theory on everything, and fathers too. That's called a "confounder".

[@DArtagnanFurioso]

As a French I have another theory: very popular use of alternative medicines and homeopathy in France ❤ less iatrigenic inflammation and diseases

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Hmmm....maybe......but the Germans are completely infatuated with alternatives like homeopathy and they're very unhealthy. A German friend died of cancer while taking tinctures from the health food store, rather than seeing her doctor.

[@davidhirschhorn2960]

How do the levels of vitamin K2 compare in these countries?

[@gaycha6589]

Food is very expensive in France these days

[@kwongheng]

What about correlation between carb intake, sugar intake, ultra processed food intake and vegetables seeds oil (removing fruit oils), what about ration between carbs/SFA and carbs/PUFA from seeds oil

[@thelaitas]

Tabaco and sat. fats comparison is honestly genius

[@stephanguitar9778]

Sugar and refined carbs in some countries, Vitamin D from sunlight or not.?

[@scottsutoob]

One other factor in the "French Paradox" not mentioned here is that French doctors do not report all deaths caused by ischemic heart disease as such. They are reported as non-specified deaths. This does not completely explain the paradox, but contributes to the discrepancy.

[@michaelgonzalez619]

Conspiracy theories, what do doctors have to gain from this besides malpractice.

[@slimeasmrfamilyguyandmore]

Can you make a video on cancer, and talk about which foods fight against it or help it.

[@dan-qe1tb]

My intake of fluid milk, pork and beef is way down. Is it more beneficial to eat cheese and yogurt, or are all animal derived products equally bad? All of them contain saturated fat, which we're told is bad for us, but based on what I've been reading, not all saturated fats are created equal. Fermented foods come pre-digested and your body handles them in a different way. It also says long chain fatty acids are worse for your system than short chain ones.

[@glen7695]

From I've witnessed, portion size and caloric intake is a huge factor. I've seen exchange students come here from France and observed that they ate a lot less. Almost all of them were slender or of average weight. I've also spoken to several American students who went to France on a class trip. They complained that the meals they were served in France were much smaller than their school lunches in the USA. This is just anecdotal evidence though.

[@gaycha6589]

A key factor overlooked here, may be France relative lower consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined carbs. I have family in France and always notice, along with how much more veg they eat, plus saturated fat protein, how relatively less potatoes, pasta, rice, bread (yes, bread) they eat compared to in UK.

[@jaymills1720]

Are there numbers or guidelines for how much Sat Fat consumption is a good starting point ?

[@tomgoff7887]

There used to be in previous US guidelines - not now though I think. The World Health Organization advises 'Intake of saturated fats should be less than 10% of total energy intake, and intake of trans-fats less than 1% of total energy intake' Search online for WHO healthy diet factsheet. If you have existing heaHt disease, I think it is no more than 7% of total calories. However, the American Heart Association says no moire than 5-6% of total calories. Note tha even olive oil contains some saturated fat.

[@--Snowy--]

Thank you kind sir 🫡

[@24tommyst]

I read once about "the Milano gene", some gene that turns saturated fat into unsaturated fat before saturated fat levels reach dangerous levels in people with the gene. French almost certainly have some shit like that.

[@saesae4309]

Coming from Atopic Dermatitis solution, I think saturated fat causes issues in colder climate as melting point is higher for SFA. This explains high AD rare in northern EU like Sweden /Iceland etc. and south of France having less CVD. Pacific Islanders with high coconut oil saturated fat in warmer climate caused less issues but once Air Con kicked in their health deteriorated.

[@drderrickchua]

Could you make a video on refined nonhydrogenated coconut oil? You're the only KZbin dietary advise channel that I can comfortably believe presents data objectively in proper context all the time.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

That would be interesting. Do remember, though, that refining removes most or all of the beneficial compounds in oils. I use unrefined coconut oil, and yes, it does make things smell and taste like coconut. You get used to it.

[@YaYippieYeah]

It's mostly saturated fat. His oppinion and the data on this topic was covered by many videos. Refining probably removes some nutritients in the oil, but it's not a "healthy" choice compared to other oils anyway. I don't know what you expect to discover.

[@drderrickchua]

Virgin oils all probably healthier but data on refined oils would be more abundant and would have less confounding components than the basic triglycerides. Isolating MCT health effects not realistic as consumer oils are not pure MCTs.

[@drderrickchua]

@@YaYippieYeah MCTs pathway different from long chain saturated fats. Also polyunsaturated fats easily form superoxides on frying such that it would be unethical to study reused oil effects on human subjects. Yet in the real world, many reuse frying oils.

[@michaelhashimoto1650]

Association is not Causation. But it's so tempting to just believe every study.

[@Shailuser]

source for air pollution(?) map at 2:50???

[@rickjensen2717]

So what is the reason? We really don't know at the present moment.

[@jmca_power]

Excelente video Gil, obrigado (Ps: este mensagem é uma prova para avaliar si você fala português)

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

falo :)

[@roxyiconoclast]

Ele é de Portugal, e até estudou medicina lá. Veja o vídeo que ele fez sobre cuidar de sua mãe durante sua doença em Portugal.

[@goodlife6277]

"Se" você fala...

[@richalfres3727]

Does the wine resolve issue?

[@ninjacats1647]

When it comes to diet you need chessboard thinking. Meaning that foods and diet must be studied by the "COMBINATION" of foods. Much like how combinations of pieces on a chessboard coordinate to achieve a result from a board position, combinations of foods, diet, exercise, etc, coordinate to achieve a result in health factors. That said, the French may eat a lot of saturated fats, but what else do they eat. Show the whole chessboard, not a single piece on the board. What other pieces are on the French board position other than saturated fats.

[@NinjaAirBike]

The quality of the ingredients is something not addressed. USA Milk is based on GMO/seed oil in the feed as one example. Lots more chemicals in our food in the USA compared to other European countries.

[@easyox77]

It all comes down to 10 speed bikes in France, olive oil, fish and great cigars.

[@RennayM]

It's way more simple than anyone realises.. to have heart disease you have to have a heart 😂

[@jackjhmc820]

butter here in hong kong or China is expensive so most folks don't eat butter at all. researchers could easily supply free butter to populations that don't eat butter in their normal diet for say 300 families like ask them to use butter as cooking oil and after say a few years they could measure their health vs control group. in Ancient China they used to mix lard with sesame oil for cooking and i wonder if mixing vegetable oils with animal fats actually result in v. different digestion and health outcomes?

[@MrSnazzy682]

What’s their LDL numbers?

[@SALVATl0N]

I would love for you to delve more into the blue zone phenomenon. I find it incredibly compelling. So if the thank you behind it is incorrect, I'd love to hear more about it.

[@MrCalyho]

The blue zone narritive falls apart very quickly with a few searches and cross checks. Okinawa for instance has a lower life expectancy than Japan.

[@MmartinL]

The blue zones are also a type of ecological data. The lowest of epidemiology. And as MrCalyho said, the life expectancies changed from the time the zones were studied. Okinawa's life expectancy fell under the Japan's average after being more westernized.

[@cyberfunk3793]

@@MrCalyho Life expectancy in Okinawa has actually declined as the diet has "westernized", don't understand why you think anything about that would mean blue zones falling apart.

[@esotericsolitaire]

@@MrCalyho there are absolutely places in the world where people live longer. These regions' dietary habits vary vastly one to another. The only dietary connection between them all is beans, the musical fruit. Listen to the elders: "Beans, beans, the musical "fruit," the more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel, so eat those beans at every meal because they're good for your heart! The more you eat, the more you f_rt!" - The End

[@MrCalyho]

@@esotericsolitaire Then blame it all on cow farts!

[@tunasalad5037]

Great video, especially for someone like me who isn’t well versed in scientific methodologies. Thanks! I was wondering about two books behind you. Could you share the title+author of the books that are to the left of “Pathological basis of diseases” and “Ophthalmology”.

[@Hannodb1961]

The definitiom of health is the slowest possible rate of dying.

[@kerstinterhoeven611]

Hi Gil! 🤓 I'm a huge fan of your channel! 🤩 Your informative and engaging videos on nutrition and health have taught me so much! 🧠🍎 I was wondering if you could do a video on advanced glycation end products (AGEs)? 🤔 AGEs are harmful compounds that can damage our cells and contribute to a number of health problems, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin aging. 🦠💉👵🏻🧓🏻 I'm particularly interested in learning more about how to reduce our exposure to AGEs in our diet. 🍔🍟🍕 I've heard that cooking at lower temperatures and avoiding charred or burnt foods can help. 🔥🍗 I think a video on AGEs would be a valuable resource for your viewers. It would help us to understand the risks associated with AGEs and how to make informed choices about our diet and lifestyle. 🥗🥕🍅 Thanks for considering my request! 🙏

[@Julottt]

Well, a old nutritionfacts video explained prety clearly the french paradox doesnt exist based on datas. "What Explains the French Paradox?"

[@jamies6534]

Is it related to the relatively higher levels of unprocessed , fresh foods consumed? Don't know this for certain, but I'd think they don't eat as many sugar-laden foods either.

[@SpookyScarecrow]

Next do a video on the Israeli paradox

[@helenali4938]

Finland has very long winters and short summers. I wonder if vitamin D deficiency have something to do with the very high mortality in hd in Finland?🤔

[@julioandresgomez3201]

I think the total amount of food is the most important variable when not eating significant unnatural obviously harmful stuff. So someone on a 1500 cal a day eating a bunch of theoretically dubious foods will beat someone on 3000 cal a day the best of the best foods (in principle anyways) any day any time.

[@henrikmadsen2176]

I agree with you. Could be interesting to see, what the results would be if the data was comparing only people with equal BMI

[@cyberfunk3793]

@@henrikmadsen2176I would be surprised if none of the studies would have adjusted for the obvoius things like smoking and BMI, level of exercise etc.

[@brucejensen3081]

No, I bet the French consume a lot more macros than the fins. Healthy people tend to poo a pound a day, people in the US poo on average a third of a pound per day. Eat less but keep eating rubbish is a recipe for disaster

[@marknasia5293]

metformin has been in use in France since 1910ish and never sent that factor considered in the french paradox diet. i first learned about the french paradox during a college elective nutrition class where our book “Eat drink and be healthy” by walter willett

[@firestara4830]

In use but very little use, because until recently obesity was almost non-existent and type 2 diabetes very rare

[@jondel3304]

So what's the "worse" saturated fatty acids?? There's like two dozen different saturated fatty acids!?

[@geetus]

When I think of the French Paradox I wonder how much is the Roseto Effect -- basically, the positive effects of strong communities and low stress. From Wikipedia: The Roseto effect is the phenomenon by which a close-knit community experiences a reduced rate of heart disease. The effect is named for Roseto, Pennsylvania. The Roseto effect was first noticed in 1961 when the local Roseto doctor encountered Stewart Wolf, then head of Medicine of the University of Oklahoma, and they discussed, over a couple of beers, the unusually low rate of myocardial infarction in the Italian American community of Roseto compared with other locations.[1][2][3] Many studies followed, including a 50-year study comparing Roseto to nearby Bangor. As the original authors had predicted, as the Roseto cohort shed their Italian social structure and became more Americanized in the years following the initial study, heart disease rates increased, becoming similar to those of neighboring towns.[4] Link to Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseto_effect

[@Overthought1]

Thank you for the counterexample of smoking! A concrete counterexample really goes a long way to stemming the approach of intuition without evidence.

[@dglsdgls3663]

You didn't address the issue of how cultural bias regarding post mortem diagnosis can seriously skew the numbers...

[@Battery-kf4vu]

In France we put garlic in a lot of meat recipes perhaps that helps.

[@AGVenge]

How does the source of the fat impact health?

[@stevet6676]

French women keep French men healthy the old fashioned way. All kidding aside, love your channel.

[@rdallas81]

How's that? Making them work hard?😅

[@MrSnazzy682]

You are so naughty. Oh, behave.