This graph from Andreas Eenfeldt (via Mark’s Daily Apple) shows heart attacks (left axis) and butter consumption (right axis) in Sweden over the last quarter-century. Heart attacks have been going down, at least in men. What interests me is that when butter consumption suddenly increased, starting in 2006, heart attacks went down more quickly. If you fit a straight line to the heart attack rates for 1988-2005, you will see that the remaining rates (2006-2012) are below the extrapolation of the line, both for men and women. The Swedes made other dietary changes when they started eating more butter (the butter replaced other foods, for example). Nevertheless, these data make it more plausible that if butter has any effect on heart attacks, it reduces them, the opposite of what we’ve been told.
I eat a half stick (60 g) of butter daily. It improves my brain speed. After I gave a talk about this, a cardiologist in the audience said I was killing myself. I said I thought my experimental data was more persuasive than epidemiology, with its many questionable assumptions. The new data suggests I was right — butter does not increase heart attacks. It also supports my belief that by learning what makes my brain work best, I will improve my health in other ways (such as reduce heart attack risk).
No doubt a low-carb high-fat diet is better than what many people eat, but I believe the never-eat-sugar part of such a diet is a mistake. There are plenty of reasons to think sugars eaten at the right time of day improve sleep. Whatever you think about nutrition, don’t get too comfortable.
