Americans Are Still Tricked by The Biggest Fib in Food History.

Summary

This video script delves into the controversial history and science behind butter's reputation. It critiques the 1960s low-fat movement, sparked by scientist Ansel Keys' diet-heart theory linking saturated fat to heart disease. The script challenges outdated beliefs, citing modern meta-analyses that dispute the connection between butter and heart attacks. It highlights the nutritional benefits of grass-fed butter, advocating for a balanced, informed perspective on dietary fats.

Takeaways

• 🧈 Butter has been controversial due to its high saturated fat content, but the script questions the validity of the negative reputation based on outdated or flawed studies.
• 🔬 The script introduces Ansel Keys, a scientist whose work in the 1960s influenced the perception of butter and other saturated fats as unhealthy, despite potential flaws in his methodology.
• 📰 Ansel Keys' work was influential enough to be featured in Time Magazine, which helped shape public opinion about the dangers of saturated fat, leading to the low-fat diet movement.
• 🌍 Keys' Seven Countries Study, which focused on the dietary habits of different nations, was criticized for cherry-picking data and not accounting for other factors like sugar consumption.
• 🐄 The quality of butter can vary significantly based on the diet of the cows, with grass-fed cows producing butter that is nutritionally superior to conventionally raised cows.
• 🌱 Grass-fed butter contains higher levels of beneficial fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-9, and a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio compared to conventional butter.
• 🛒 The script criticizes the use of processed vegetable oils in food, which are often chemically treated and degraded, suggesting they may be more harmful than natural fats like butter.
• 🧠 Butter, particularly from grass-fed cows, is highlighted as a rich source of essential nutrients like vitamin K2, vitamin A, CLA, MCT, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for various bodily functions.
• 🚫 The advice to avoid saturated fat is called into question, with the script suggesting that it is based on incomplete or biased research and may not be as detrimental as once believed.
• 🔍 The script encourages viewers to look beyond observational studies and consider the quality of the food, rather than just the type of fat, when making dietary choices.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the debate surrounding butter and its health implications, focusing on the historical context and scientific studies that have shaped public opinion.

What is the 'Diet-Heart Theory' as mentioned in the script?

The 'Diet-Heart Theory' is the hypothesis that saturated fat leads to elevated cholesterol, which in turn leads to heart disease, a theory that was popularized by scientist Ancel Keys.

Who is Ancel Keys and what is his contribution to the discussion on butter and heart disease?

Ancel Keys was a scientist known for his research into the connection between diet and heart disease. He proposed the Diet-Heart Theory and conducted the Seven Countries Study, which influenced public opinion and dietary guidelines regarding saturated fats like butter.

What is the Seven Countries Study and why is it controversial?

The Seven Countries Study was a research project led by Ancel Keys that aimed to investigate the relationship between diet and heart disease. It is controversial because it has been criticized for cherry-picking data and not accounting for other factors, leading to potentially skewed conclusions.

What type of study is considered the 'gold standard' in scientific research according to the script?

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is considered the 'gold standard' in scientific research because it allows for intervention and control of variables, providing more reliable data to establish cause and effect.

Why did Ancel Keys' study face criticism regarding its methodology?

Ancel Keys' study faced criticism because it was an observational study, which can form a hypothesis but not necessarily prove cause and effect. Critics argue that it lacked the rigor of a randomized controlled trial and may have been influenced by bias.

What are some of the issues with the oils that have replaced butter in many foods according to the script?

The issues with the oils that have replaced butter include their production process, which involves chemical treatments and degradation, and their presence in almost all packaged foods, potentially leading to health issues due to their altered composition.

What is the difference between butter from grass-fed cows and conventionally raised cows as per the script?

Butter from grass-fed cows has a lower overall content of saturated fat, higher levels of omega-9 and omega-3 acids, and a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio compared to conventional butter, which is considered nutritionally inferior.

What are some of the benefits of consuming grass-fed butter mentioned in the script?

The benefits of consuming grass-fed butter include its high content of vitamins A and K2, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), and omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to heart health, immune function, metabolism, and brain function.

What is the script's stance on the advice to avoid saturated fats?

The script criticizes the advice to avoid saturated fats, calling it 'lazy advice' and suggesting that it lacks scientific rigor. It emphasizes the importance of considering the quality of fats, such as the difference between butter from grass-fed cows and conventional butter.

Why does the script suggest that the current dietary guidelines regarding fats might be flawed?

The script suggests that current dietary guidelines might be flawed because they are based on observational studies that do not prove cause and effect, and because they do not differentiate between the quality of different types of fats, such as the difference between grass-fed and conventional butter.

Outlines

00:00

🧈 The Controversy of Butter's Health Impact

This paragraph introduces the debate surrounding butter's health effects, highlighting the contrasting views people have about it. It sets the stage for an exploration of the historical context and scientific research that has shaped public opinion on butter. The video aims to approach the topic with an open mind, avoiding the polarization that often accompanies discussions about nutrition. The host, Johnny, promises to delve into the scientific evidence to uncover the truth about butter, starting with a look back at the 1960s and the influential work of scientist Ansel Keys, who linked saturated fat to heart disease.

05:01

🔍 The Diet-Heart Theory and Its Impact

The second paragraph delves into the origins of the diet-heart theory, which was largely shaped by Ansel Keys' observations and research. Keys' work led to the widespread belief that saturated fats, like those found in butter, were detrimental to heart health. His theories were met with both support and skepticism, but they significantly influenced dietary guidelines and public perception. The paragraph discusses the Seven Countries Study, which further solidified the link between saturated fat and heart disease, despite later criticisms of its methodology and potential biases.

10:02

📊 Reevaluating the Role of Saturated Fat

This paragraph addresses the evolving understanding of saturated fat's role in heart health. It presents a meta-analysis of 45 studies involving over 347,000 participants, which found no solid evidence linking dietary saturated fat to an increased risk of heart attacks. However, the paragraph also acknowledges the ongoing debate and the complexity of studying the effects of saturated fat, including issues of bias, study quality, and the difficulty of measuring the impact of different types of saturated fat.

15:02

🌱 The Benefits of Grass-Fed Butter

The final paragraph focuses on the nutritional benefits of grass-fed butter, contrasting it with conventional butter and other unsaturated fats. It discusses the importance of the quality of the fat we consume, highlighting the differences in fatty acid composition between butter from cows raised on grass versus those fed on conventional diets. The paragraph emphasizes the nutritional advantages of grass-fed butter, including its higher content of beneficial fatty acids and vitamins, and argues against the oversimplified advice to avoid saturated fat.

Keywords

💡Butter

Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of milk or cream. It is a central topic in the video, which discusses its nutritional value and the controversy surrounding its health effects. The script mentions butter in various contexts, such as its use in cooking (e.g., making pancakes) and its reputation as being unhealthy.

💡Unhealthy

The term 'unhealthy' is used in the script to describe the perceived negative health impacts of certain foods, particularly butter. This perception is challenged throughout the video, as the host explores the scientific basis for these claims and suggests that butter may not be as detrimental as once believed.

💡Vibes

In the context of the script, 'vibes' refers to the general atmosphere or feeling associated with a topic or situation. The host uses this term to describe the casual or non-serious approach some people might have towards food choices, suggesting that they might consume butter occasionally without deeply considering its health implications.

💡Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is a type of fat molecule that is solid at room temperature and is found in many animal-based foods, including butter. The script discusses the historical association of saturated fat with heart disease, which has led to its demonization in dietary advice. However, the video challenges this view by presenting more recent scientific findings.

💡Ansel Keys

Ansel Keys was a scientist whose work is central to the script's discussion on the relationship between diet and heart disease. His research, particularly the Seven Countries Study, is highlighted as a major influence on the low-fat diet movement. The video critiques his methodology and suggests that his conclusions may have been overly simplistic or biased.

💡Diet Heart Theory

The Diet Heart Theory is a hypothesis proposed by Ansel Keys, suggesting that saturated fat leads to elevated cholesterol levels, which in turn leads to heart disease. This theory is a focal point in the video, as it underpins much of the dietary advice given in the past and is re-evaluated in light of new research.

💡Observational Study

An observational study is a type of scientific research where researchers observe subjects without manipulating any variables. The script discusses the limitations of observational studies, particularly in the context of Keys' Seven Countries Study, which is criticized for not being able to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

💡Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

A randomized controlled trial is a type of scientific experiment that is considered the gold standard for establishing cause-and-effect relationships. The video contrasts observational studies with RCTs, emphasizing the need for more rigorous scientific methods to draw definitive conclusions about diet and health.

💡Grass-fed Butter

Grass-fed butter is butter produced from cows that have been raised on a diet of grass, as opposed to conventionally raised cows that are often fed grains. The script highlights a study comparing the nutritional content of grass-fed butter with conventional butter, showing that grass-fed butter has a different fatty acid profile that may be healthier.

💡Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and Omega-6 are types of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential for human health. The video discusses the importance of these fatty acids in butter, particularly noting that grass-fed butter has a more favorable ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 compared to conventional butter, which could have health benefits.

💡Meta-analysis

A meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to combine the results of multiple studies to draw broader conclusions. The script mentions a meta-analysis of studies on saturated fat and heart disease, which found no solid evidence linking dietary saturated fat to an increased risk of heart attacks, challenging previous beliefs.

Highlights

The video explores the debate around butter's health effects, urging an open-minded approach rather than tribalism.

Butter has a bad reputation, and the video aims to clarify why and whether it's deserved.

Ansel Keys, a scientist from the 1960s, is highlighted as a key figure in linking dietary fat to heart disease.

The 1961 Time Magazine cover story featuring Keys popularized the idea that fat, including butter, was unhealthy.

Keys' work led to the low-fat movement in America, influencing dietary guidelines and public opinion.

Keys' hypothesis, the Diet-Heart Theory, suggested that saturated fat leads to elevated cholesterol and heart disease.

Keys' Seven Countries Study is criticized for its methodology, including cherry-picking data and observational rather than interventional approach.

The video challenges the validity of Keys' conclusions, suggesting they were not based on solid scientific evidence.

Meta-analyses of saturated fat and heart disease show no solid evidence linking dietary saturated fat to increased heart attack risk.

The video discusses the potential bias in studies that conclude saturated fat is harmful, questioning their methodologies.

A study comparing grass-fed and conventionally raised cows shows significant differences in the nutritional content of their butter.

Conventional butter is found to have a higher saturated fat content and lower beneficial fatty acids compared to grass-fed butter.

The video criticizes the use of processed vegetable oils in food, suggesting they are less healthy than natural fats.

The importance of dietary fats, including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, is emphasized for overall health.

Grass-fed butter is highlighted as a source of beneficial nutrients like K2, vitamin A, CLA, MCT, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The video concludes that avoiding saturated fat is lazy advice and encourages a more nuanced understanding of dietary fats.

Transcripts

bad oh

What boat are you in boat one you hate

butter you don't have it in your house

you think it's unhealthy oh two you

think it's unhealthy but you love butter

you just made pancakes with it but both

three you're just here for the Vibes you

might eat butter every now and then but

you don't really know if it's good for

you or not well this video is the river

that all those bolts are in and we're

headed Upstream to the truth it's a good

analogy thank you butter frown or full

enemy or Ally

welcome to no loud core requirement I

out research your doctor to learn

answers to your questions rather you're

confused or just curious my name is

Johnny

I've been waiting to talk about this one

first things first let's not be tribal

about butter we're talking about butter

like lower your shoulders let's approach

this with an open mind I don't know what

it is about the butter conversation that

turns us into barbarians you know people

get defensive over what they believe

that's actually never okay it's like we

take everything in about a topic that we

think will suffice and then we just

completely shut the door on our

conclusion

conclusion only leave it slightly

cracked because that leaves room for new

inside that is science that is genius

butter has a bad rep and most of us

don't even know why we think it is bad

do you know why let's go over it why

didn't we think of this before Batman

hindsight is often better than foresight

old chum ah the 1960s back when the Talk

of the Town literally meant just that

the news hit a little different back

then you couldn't just scroll to the

next headline a Time Magazine was Global

and its covers were usually reserved for

notable figures or celebrities so in the

issue of January 13 1961 displayed a man

in doctor's clothing shooting a solemn

sharp gaze of grim into the eyes of the

reading world we were prompted to listen

up I can't ask 100 people to go through

their phone contacts and expect to find

one mug named Ansel Keys like what that

man was named asuki see Ansel was a

scientist he was brilliant and driven he

was a standout Pioneer of discovering uh

how disease was connected to nutrition

this was around the time that we figured

out smoking might probably be bad for us

McDonald's was fresh on the scene we

just had a world war that sped up modern

day food processing as we know it like

you know lessening the steps from

package to stomach extending its shelf

life we invented Doritos in this time

America was transitioning but there was

this weird thing that kept happening

heart attacks we know that they were the

result of blocked arteries but we didn't

know what blocked the arteries if you

look into the articles of the past you

will realize that specifically

middle-aged men in executive positions

were suffering from these heart attacks

one man particularly put the nation on

high alert the president in 1955 the

Wiley beloved 34th president Dwight D

Eisenhower suffered a non-fatal heart

attack America demanded an answer and we

turned to the medical community and a

few years later we got our answer

saturated fat

saturated fat is just a word for a type

of fat molecule and butter is considered

a saturated fat because it has a high

percentage of said molecule but at the

same time who cares because we don't eat

molecules we eat food people in biblical

times were eating butter and didn't have

a clue what a molecule was back to the

Time Magazine story this is what the

takeaway is Ansel Keys absolutely rips

apart fat anything related to fat fat

edible edible fat dietary fat a fat

people anything fat adjacent all fat all

bad the low-fat movement that ran

America into drinking skim milk and

staying away from marbled meat it all

started right here low fat everything

low-fat Bluetooth the story transcribed

that cholesterol was the problem eat fat

gain cholesterol get fat get heart

disease in that order that means no more

eggs meat dairy or anything fat not only

were these Foods deemed as the problem

but stress hypertension smoking and

physical inactivity weren't seen as the

problem Ansel was backed up by the

American Heart Association as well which

a few weeks later released a report

basically echoing what was reported in a

Time cover story yeah Ansel was one of

the authors so really America is getting

this advice from one big party

I kept my opinion out of this video up

until this point because here's the

kicker

Ansel Keys claims he doesn't know all of

the science and mechanisms of

cholesterol but he regards its

connection to heart disease has proved

to not fully understand something but to

yet draw a conclusion that is not

Science Now quickly I I don't want this

to be me painting and so Keys as a bad

guy a lot of people have done that

there's been books there's been podcast

episodes of blogs videos a bunch of

people kind of painting them out to be

this villain and after we have learned

so much about heart disease and

cholesterol we realized like we were

super wrong like we were way off where

do we even get this information from

naturally we tracked it back and we

found Ansel Keyes work so he became the

villain but there are institutions

defending his work as well it's not easy

being the first to something I'm not

choosing a side it is what it is but we

have to look at what made answer key say

that eating saturated fat was bad we

gotta rewind a little bit before Time

Magazine before all the hullabaloo like

before this thing blue up what happened

Italy was enjoying healthy Hearts so

much so that an Italian colleague of

keys reached out to him and said come

see for yourself heart disease is no

problem here just like that Keys is in

Italy he brings his equipment he's

measuring blood pressure and heart stuff

all on the streets he's in the hospitals

with him he finds virtually no heart

issues after noting how different the

Italians ate keish started to form the

diet heart Theory the hypothesis that

saturated fat leads to elevated

cholesterol which leads to heart disease

he traveled a bit more analyzed more

data analyzed more blood and started to

find a relationship that supported his

theory in 1955 the World Health

Organization hosted a meeting to talk

about heart attacks and so Phil it was

finally his time to share what he had

been discovering and people who knew key

said he kind of spoke in a blunt way he

was given the floor with all the

confidence in the world he presented

them the diet heart Theory and he was

rejected borderline mocked he was shot

down in the most professional Act

Academic Way you ever been insulted by

somebody by words you have to look up

after his evidence was diminished

because it was an argument of

Association it was all just based on

stuff he just kind of seen fully

dejected Ansel promised himself he's

going to prove the snotty no's who

fellowshipping folk wrong he said that

those are his words and so we'll then go

on to start one of the most

controversial studies of all time the

seven country study United States Italy

Greece Yugoslavia Netherlands Finland

and Japan Angela and his team of

researchers got

they put in some groundwork in all of

these countries we're talking about

analyzing blood blood pressure ECGs

anthropometric measurements cholesterol

the whole shebang like the data

collection was real but even more real

was his hypothesis Ansel felt that he

had finally collected some legit data to

back up what he thought in the first

place and he took it to the streets next

thing you know he's on a cover of Time

Magazine he gets as celebrities as a

dude in a lab coat could get we're

talking Bill Nye the Science Guy

uh Dexter

Curious George he had his time with

shine but like I said as we grew more

knowledgeable about the subject we

realized that his study didn't really

hold up in fact it was torn apart it was

broken down and scrutinized he was

accused of cherry-picking certain

countries to support his theory he was

accused of uh measuring the Greek folk

during Lent so that he could skew the

results he was accused of not regarding

sugar and take a whole bunch of stuff

that's where you get into debate with

all the other nerds this nerd me Johnny

myself and you as well we're going to

talk about the real problem here

look at you you're beautiful

all right now hit the like button come

on let's have a mutual relationship are

you ready for this you ready the problem

what is this the problem the problem

with Ansel Keys is study was that it was

observational in scientific study there

is a spectrum of quality when it comes

to data the gold standard yielding the

highest form of respectable legitimate

data comes from what we call a

randomized controlled trial or RCT so in

an RCT if we're measuring diet and heart

attacks we're going to separate people

into groups group one we're going to

feed them food we think will cause a

heart attack group two we're going to

feed them Foods we think will not cause

our heart attack and then group three to

really balance out the results we're not

going to give them anything you adjust

for variables like age and sex and boom

you got your results you can even make

that more rigorous by making the

participants or even the researchers

blind to what they're testing you can

even throw in a placebo effect somewhere

the point is is that there is

intervention observational studies lack

that you go in make sure measurements

observe then make some Mo observational

studies are still legit science and

that's actually how we start things off

we make an observation we make a guess

and then we test it but at the very best

observational studies can form a

hypothesis you were taught this in

middle school and educated guess you

can't form a conclusion let alone tell

Time Magazine about the results you

found in a study where you didn't

intervene you ain't testing none yet the

reason we have low fat anything in the

grocery store to this day is because of

this seven countries observational study

we observe that ice cream cells go up in

the summer but so does horrendous acts

does one cause the other I would hope

not you can't prove cause and effect

through observation alone ladies and

gentlemen now for the part you've all

been waiting for it's time for the truth

about saturated fat and butter

meta-analysis unsaturated fat 45 studies

analyze 347 000 plus participant total

conclusion no solid evidence that

dietary saturated fat is associated with

an increased risk of a heart attack this

was going to be the study that kicked

off a montage of me list listing a bunch

of other studies with similar findings

bam case close but I had to look a

little closer that study garnered a

response from other scientists who

believed that the conclusion that they

drew was inaccurate because of an over

adjustment and over adjustment can skew

the results toward their bias in order

to appease their hypothesis in other

words scientists called them out for

Tina's system

[Music]

had a connection with a dairy

institution so there could be bias

measuring the effects of saturated fat

is inherently difficult not only that

but all studies aren't used in the same

type of saturated fat and there's levels

of quality as well every single study I

come across hardly ever mentions the

quality of the saturated fat and even

less studies directly compare the

quality of butter but I found one and

it's a good one

and control double blind randomize

intervention study the researchers

weighed up free roaming cows fed on

grass-fed diets against those raised in

conventional standards raised mostly

indoors on corn silage wheat barley

silage and a bunch of other stuff just

so we're clear cows if it wasn't for a

human intervention would probably eat

about 90 grass they wouldn't eat corn or

grain definitely not corn they can't

even reach the top of the stock so

they're not designed to we really don't

know all the things that conventional

farmers are putting into these feeds

these are just the things that they have

shared with us some Farmers Feed their

cows straight candy he began to buy

secondhand candy it has a higher ratio

of fat than actually feeding straight

corn lots of happy cattle

uh just like humans cows are what they

eat and if we think for one second that

a stressed out cow fed candy is going to

produce the same quality butter as a

grass-fed free roaming cow then we trip

the study comparing the two groups of

cows found major differences in their

butter conventional butter has an

overall higher content of saturated fat

than grass-fed butter conventional

butter has 17 percent less omega-9 acid

33 less omega-3 acid and the omega-6 to

Omega-3 ratio is 45 percent higher than

grass-fed butter oh

now around here like I said we don't eat

molecules we eat food so all the Omega

talk it can go a little deep I actually

made a separate video on that that you

can check out in the description for now

we have to understand that these are two

of the same foods but nutritionally are

like night and day the advice was to

replace butter with unsaturated fats and

trust me we've done that vegetable oil

is an umbrella term for all the oils we

consume in our Foods soybean oil

sunflower oil peanut oil canola oil and

so on these oils are degraded basically

the instant humans touch them we

chemically treat them which we winterize

them deodorize them de-gum them

neutralize them bleach them I don't want

anything to do with anything that's been

through that kind of trauma after these

oils are produced they're thrown into

basically every packaged food you see in

their grocery stores and in the gas

stations I'm not kidding check the label

their processed to the point to where

they are a fraction of what they once

were and that kind comes with side

effects I used to be a busboy I was

underpaid and poorly treated every night

I went home with a bad attitude and a

wet laugh because of all the dishes I

washed I imagine this is how our cells

feel when we give them these oils this

is the big question though Johnny why do

we put these oils in our food it's hard

to consume or even produce foods without

some form of fat we need it for texture

flavor to bind ingredients so on and so

on of course big corporations aren't

necessarily concerned about which oil

does the trick as long as it's cheap

because their main concern is their

bottom line

we were already given natural fats from

the Earth but we developed a system that

frankensteined them we are eating the

same butter our great great grandparents

ate and they sure wouldn't be eating no

man-made margarine wow this is garbage

fatty acids are special puzzle pieces

that the body cannot live without the

brain is 60 fat and our cell membranes

are 50 fat we need fat to absorb certain

vitamins a d e and K we need saturated

fat

monounsaturated fat polyunsaturated fat

and high quality butter provides a vast

array of them all we need fat all right

folks time for another episode of Johnny

tell me the benefits of grass-fed butter

please I'm your host Johnny and let's

get into it it's one of the only places

you can get K2 a vitamin responsible for

making sure calcium ends up in the right

spots and not the wrong ones it is also

rich in the vitamin that is special and

famous for eyesight but vitamin A is

also important for the immune system so

you don't get sick of these people it

has CLA MCT and omega-3 we're talking a

fortified heart a more efficient

metabolism and a sharper brain so you

can come up with

better comebacks when somebody

disrespects you

being told to avoid saturated fat is

lazy advice as well as being told to sit

up straight no kidding I made a video on

that and it's coming up on the screen

I'm gonna patch away

[Music]

thank you