LIVING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE #92

By Rhonda Jones

This morning, I was pouring some Plant Strong cereal into a bowl when I looked up at my Alexa Echo and saw a message. “Could red meat prevent dementia?” Well, that stopped me in my tracks.

Of course, my first thought was, if red meat could prevent dementia, then there would probably be no dementia since almost everyone in the US, with the exception of a few of us, eats red meat and eats it almost every day. I could picture a few skinny vegans walking around, wondering where they were.

Then, I realized just how inaccurate that statement is and also how dangerous it is to think that red meat could prevent dementia, especially when the research overwhelmingly shows that the opposite is true.

Dr. Dean Ornish started a research group a couple of years ago with the idea that a whole-food, plant-based diet might actually help, and possibly reverse, dementia. So far, his results have been very good. The people in the study seem to be experiencing a slowing of dementia progression.

A great book on Alzheimer’s is “The Alzheimer’s Solution,” written by Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, both medical doctors who have treated Alzheimer’s patients and researched how to achieve better outcomes through a whole-food diet grounded in fruits and vegetables. They have also achieved great results.

So, of course, I cannot possibly believe that red meat would be a cure for dementia with such promising results from the studies done by Dr. Ornish and patients treated by Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai. They feel strongly that cholesterol clogging the arteries leading to the heart could also be clogging arteries to the brain and within the brain.

We know that strokes can be caused by a buildup of plaque in the carotid arteries. And it is pretty conclusive that plaque buildup is usually a product of high LDL cholesterol caused by too much saturated fat in the diet, and that saturated fat comes only from animal products. Right?

It turns out that palm oil and coconut oil, both coming from plants, also have saturated fat. Could they also contribute to higher cholesterol?

According to Dr. Michael Greger, saturated fat from coconut oil and palm oil can raise cholesterol levels in the same way as animal products do. Dr. Greger writes that a significant increase in blood cholesterol can be seen within hours of eating a slice of cake made with coconut oil, but not when that same cake is made with flaxseed oil.

In a month-long randomized, controlled, crossover study looking at the impact of two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil per day, it was found that LDL (bad) cholesterol increased 14%. This, of course, would have an adverse effect on heart health.

There is also a misconception that the saturated fat in coconut oil is mainly medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), but in fact, it is mostly lauric and myristic acids, which have potent LDL-raising effects.

And coconut oil is in everything! As it turns out, almost all meat and cheese substitutes, as well as butter substitutes, and some plant-based yogurt contain coconut milk. Many vegan chocolates contain coconut, and many crackers also contain coconut oil.

If you are trying to lower LDL cholesterol, take a good look at all the packaged products you use, and chances are you will find coconut oil.

Another good reason to stick with whole plant foods (except for coconut) and make your own burgers, cheese sauce, and chocolate treats without coconut.