Dario Polisano - The Italian Reset Diet

Today, we know that saturated fats are not the real culprits of atherosclerosis. As mentioned above, plaque does not form if an artery is not damaged, and it occurs only following continuous inflammation due to high levels of glycemia and insulin; in fact, atherosclerotic plaques are lifelong companions of diabetics. It is not a coincidence!

The reason we are afraid of saturated fats stems from the fact that, in 1967, a few scientists were paid by the sugar industry to write up false studies whereby the important role sugar plays in the genesis of atherosclerosis was omitted. These “studies” claimed that fats caused all cardiovascular disorders. For years, professionals have believed—and many continue to believe—in these studies, referring back to them whenever anyone makes the counterclaim that the cause of cardiovascular damage is actually sugars and not fats.

A series of studies done in France in 1979 has negated the link between the intake of saturated fats/cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases, leading to what is known today as the French paradox. These studies showed that the French, who are egg and cheese eaters, died less from cardiovascular diseases compared to other European countries. The scientists, who supported the false theory surrounding fats, interpreted this phenomenon as stemming from the heavy consumption of red wine. And so the beautiful fairy tale claiming wine is good for the arteries was born. It was purportedly thanks to resveratrol, (the flavonoid compound in wine), and its protective cardiovascular effects. Too bad that, in order to make use of such an effect, you would need to consume one liter of red wine a day, which would result in serious liver damage. At the time, they did not understand that the French, though large consumers of saturated fats, did not consume the same quantities of white flours and sugars as Italians, Americans and most other Europeans.

Finally, in September 2017, in an important conference on cardiology held in Barcelona, scientists presented a series of studies that actually showed that saturated fats could actually prevent strokes.

Saturated fats, in general, also promote hormonal production. In addition, some of them are transformed into other, less dangerous fats as soon as they enter our bodies. For example, the stearic acid found in cocoa is converted into oleic acid, a beneficial monounsaturated fat abundantly present in olive oil. Stearic acid is not dangerous at all because it is easily incorporated into our fat mass, which is entirely made up of stearic acid. Another example is palmitic acid, found in palm oil, which is also converted into stearic acid. Yes, you read that correctly! In reality, the supposedly horrible palm oil poses no danger whatsoever to our cardiovascular system, precisely because the biochemical pathway that carries palmitic acid leads to its transformation into stearic acid. Before pointing to palm oil as the menace responsible for atherosclerosis, I would examine the products in which it is contained. Do you know which products contain it? They are in creamy sweets full of sugar, glucose syrup, fructose and other sweeteners—all of the primary things responsible for cardiovascular diseases! These days, on all the packaging for cookies, sweets, and other products put out by the confectionery industry, you will find the wording: “Does not contain palm oil,” as if to mean “without any health risk.”

Other saturated fats which ought to be mentioned are the medium-chain fatty acids of coconut oil. These fatty acids are easily absorbed by the intestinal mucosa, even without the kicking off of the digestive processes, reaching the cells and penetrating them with the utmost ease, thereby providing immediate energy. For this reason, they are used by patients in the acute phase of serious intestinal autoimmune diseases (who are unable to feed themselves regularly), as well as by athletes.

May he who has never cut back on extra virgin olive oil as soon as they started a diet cast the first stone! I think that almost nobody can be that person, because all the most common diets involve a reduction in calories and especially in fats. The very first food to be cut back on is our fantastic extra virgin olive oil, despite the fact it should be freely consumed without worrying about measuring it by the teaspoonful, a method which, among other things, causes patients not to adhere to their diets. I myself would go crazy trying to measure this liquid gold by the teaspoon. Rich in oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid, extra virgin has proven itself to be a fundamental nutrient, and a safeguard for our cardiovascular health. Together with phytosterols, additional components of extra virgin, it allows for the lowering of triglycerides and of LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol. Oleic acid, as stated in an article published in the journal “Diabetes Care,” has proven able to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 50%. Oleic acid has also been proven to be an effective nutrient to combat depression. Recent studies have shown that people who adopt a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil have a lower chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis than individuals who consume it in small amounts. Beneficial effects were also shown with regard to bone-density and the prevention of osteoporosis. It seems, in fact, that regular consumption of olive oil improves the body’s calcium absorption. There is data that correlate the use of extra virgin olive oil with the reduction of some types of cancer, especially breast cancer. Furthermore, cancer mortality is higher in Northern European countries than in Mediterranean countries. The polyphenols present in extra virgin olive oil strengthen cell walls and increase the elasticity of blood vessel walls, offering the cardiovascular system protection. A study published in “Chemical Neuroscience” has shown that oleocanthal, the substance responsible for that burning sensation in the throat, has useful properties in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's. It also improves cognitive function. Extra virgin olive oil is known to have beneficial effects on digestion, and is commonly used as a medical oil to clean the digestive system and thus improve intestinal movement, with preventive effects against constipation. Our grandparents knew that, but we forgot.

A nice technique for aiding digestion involves putting a little extra virgin olive oil on a puffed rice cake with a pinch of salt. By doing so, you will have prepared a delicious snack with high digestive power. In fact, extra virgin olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, and salt is rich in sodium (making it an antacid). We have found an ideal pairing to deal with acidity and/or reflux disorders.

Its abundance of quercetin, a molecule belonging to the flavonoid family that restores vitamin E, ensures its anti-inflammatory power, inhibiting all processes that promote inflammation.

We can also find caffeic acid within our liquid gold. Caffeic acid is a natural antibiotic, an inhibitor of inflammation and of the formation of uric acid (responsible for gout).

In addition, the fatty acids found in extra virgin olive oil, which provide us 9 kcal/g, are not responsible for weight gain, but if anything stabilize it! I am sure you have already surmised that, by reducing extra virgin olive oil, the diets they push on us are nothing but dangerous for our health.

For years, there has been a media campaign against nutrients that our bodies could not do without: proteins. How many times have you been admonished to be careful how many proteins you take in because of their alleged negative effects on the kidneys and liver? Too bad all that news is unfounded. Since so many people love to talk about scientific studies, I will tell you that in reality there is no scientific study that confirms the supposed negative effects of a healthy person eating an excess amount of proteins. The studies showing that proteins can damage the kidneys were conducted on nephropathic patients—that is to say, on patients with kidney disease. That is akin to saying that patients with third degree burns should not be exposed to the sun because it can burn their skin even more! What’s more, as you have no doubt concluded yourself, there are scads of studies and counter-studies that can create crazy amounts of confusion. Further studies have shown that nephropathic people, being catabolic, lose more proteins with respect to healthy people, and so must consume more proteins to counteract excess protein catabolism. So who should we listen to? Let's employ some logic! Going by the anti-protein strain of logic, athletes should all be nephropathic due to their excessive protein consumption. And what about the peoples of North America who are forced to fight against the cold, and whose nutrition is based on large quantities of fish (including salmon and whales)? They certainly do not have damaged kidneys. Furthermore, going off the previous chapter, cardiovascular pathologies there are almost unheard of. Let's move on to the other myth about this macronutrient—the notion that meat proteins cause cancer. If this were the case, mankind would have gone extinct, given that prehistoric man fed largely upon meat and fish, and knew not of cereals! But of course, mention that and the expert-of-the-moment jumps in to claim that the average age of the primitive man was thirty. I reply to these geniuses that they would not be able to survive a single day in the middle of the jungle, without heating, without a home, without drugs and without a refrigerator! Primitive man died only from infections that resulted from injuries caused during the hunt or clashes with his fellow men. There were no chronic degenerative diseases. These appeared shortly after the start of cereal cultivation, but especially after the Second World War with increased industrialization. Tumors, in general, might be produced by a diet rich in sugars and dairy products. The only meat proteins to avoid are pork proteins. Epidemiological studies are clear on this, as we will see in later chapters.