You are not what you eat. You are what your body does with what you eat.
No one would think that you could become intelligent by eating Einstein’s brain. Some uncivilized societies eat the powdered bones of their deceased elders in order to absorb their essence, and most of us would find this practice disturbing, foolish, and unscientific. Nevertheless, the superstitions of our society tell us the exact same message of the uncivilized, unscientific societies. We have been told to reduce our intake of cholesterol-rich foods in order to lower our cholesterol. We have been told to decrease our saturated fat intake in order to lower our blood levels of saturated fats. We attempt these practices and are astounded to discover the messages to be false. (In one study, participants reduced their saturated fat intake and 99% of the participants saw an increase in their blood levels of saturated fats.)
In a recent study, participants actually increased their fat intake and saw the resolution of their fatty livers. Fatty liver, also called Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or Non-Alcohlic SteatoHepatosis, can be caused by underlying medical conditions like insulin resistance which also causes cysts on the ovaries (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and fatty liver (NAFLD or NASH) added an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. The result was a reduction in liver fat.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Oct;94(10):3842-8. Epub 2009 Jul 21.
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