Dr. William Davis has a post on the AHA diet vs. the Meditarranean
diet:  http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com (6/17/07).

In 1994, the Lyon Heart Study demonstrated a 50-70% reduction in
coronary events in participants who followed a diet rich in
vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, red wine, and enjoyed meals as a
family activity. Various other studies have documented similar
phenomena with less metabolic syndrome, better lipid patterns, less
obesity with the Mediterranean lifestyle.

There are two fundamental differences between the Mediterranean diet
and the diet advocated by the American Heart Association (AHA) for
people with heart disease: the Mediterranean diet uses olive oil more
liberally, such that fat calories can reach 40% of total; and, unlike
the AHA diet, processed foods are not a part of the Mediterranean
diet. Greeks, for instance, are far less likely to eat Count Chocula
cereal for breakfast, or snack on Healthy Choice Premium Caramel Swirl
Sandwich (ice cream sandwiches) or Malt-O-Meal Honey Nut Scooters. All
three of these foods on listed on the AHA Heart-Check Mark heart-
healthy program.

In other words, remove all the processed foods, and the AHA diet
pretty closely resembles the Mediterranean diet. There are differences
but they tend to be relatively small. If the only major difference is
the presence of processed foods, wouldn't you therefore expect the AHA
to embrace the Mediterranean diet?

Here's what their official stand on the Mediterranean diet states:

Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow American Heart Association
dietary recommendations?

"Mediterranean-style diets are often close to our dietary
recommendations, but they don't follow them exactly. In general, the
diets of Mediterranean peoples contain a relatively high percentage of
calories from fat. This is thought to contribute to the increasing
obesity in these countries, which is becoming a concern."

The AHA is actually lukewarm towards the diet that was the first to
show a dramatic decrease in heart attack and death. Why?

The answer is obvious, once cast in this light. To wholeheartedly
endorse the Mediterranean diet might be seen as an indirect rejection
of American processed foods. You know, the foods that have caused an
extraordinary and unprecedented epidemic of obesity in the U.S., the
foods that are manufactured by ConAgra, General Mills, Kelloggs--all
also major financial contributors to the AHA, according to the AHA
Annual Report.

I tell my patients: If you want heart disease, follow the American
Heart Association diet. In my view, it is a diet founded on politics
and money, not on health. How else could Cocoa Puffs be regarded as
heart healthy?

* * *

N.B.:  Just because I am posting this does not mean I endorse his
"Track Your Plaque" program.

Marilyn

Flying Rat wrote:

Actually, we don't care.

Please stop wasting our bandwidth attacking people. Instead, please put
Chung in your kill file if you don't like what he has to say.

I am sure that other people can draw conclusions about the relevance of
his posts.

Jeff

Flying Rat wrote:

Actually, we don't care.

Please stop wasting our bandwidth attacking people. Instead, please put
Chung in your kill file if you don't like what he has to say.

I am sure that other people can draw conclusions about the relevance of
his posts.

Jeff

On Jun 21, 1:34 pm, "Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <lov...@thetruth.com>
wrote:

Hmm.  Birds eat constantly, and yet, you never see an obese sparrow
dining on French fries in an Arby's parking lot, or one on insulin
maintenance,
or one undergoing cardiac bypass surgery while its family gathers for
support in the sparrow hospital waiting room.  Certainly other factors
are at play?

Which tells us nothing about why they've continued to push it despite
all evidence to the contrary.

Because our nutrition policy has been coerced by corn, grain, sugar
lobbies/farm lobbies.

And the pharma who reap the profits from all the resultant diseases.

Susan

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Jim Chinnis wrote in article
<fqgl73dpkvnqcvf1qavkethlig14otba19@4ax.com>:

This may be a little off topic, but let's remember that the first big
push to promote consumption cereals came out of the medical profession,
including Doctors Kellogg, Post, and Graham whose names are still daily
bywords--many motivated by their religious beliefs.  Graham's teaching
on nutrition apparently influenced the young Seventh Day Adventist
movement, by which both Kellogg and Post were influenced.

Unfortunately, their corporate successors seem to have switched sides.

First I agree with you in many people ; a high carb diet will cause
the effects you noted. The group that will be most effected are the
ones who are insulin resistance; this leads to MeTs and diabetes and
this is the group at highest risk. I do not think all will react in
this manner. My feeling is most people would do well to limit sugars
and simple carbs.Those that are insulin resistant need to be more
aggressive in this regard.  In my opinion insulin is the primary cause
of the effects you cited Thanks Vince

I think they stay abreast and then spin the stuff they don't like out of
all reality.

You'd hope that'd lead to more integrity, instead of pushing crap like
vegetarianism and Ornish.

Susan