The Joys of Nutrition

Like annnnnnything having to do with science, medicine, and overall health, trends are bound to change over time.  Atkins diet, anyone?  Heaven forbid you have a bowl of oatmeal, but a meat-packed omelet?  Bring it on.

My own graduate program was extremely research-driven, so by default I like to stay on top of new studies.  I also like to think I know well enough to tease out the shortcomings of any research study.  It always seems that the media reports about 1% of the actual research, whereas the remaining 99% goes under-reported.

This news story made headlines a few weeks ago.  

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean

WHAT?

How can this be?

Oh skim milk, I love theeeeeeeee!

The skeptic in me has two main thoughts:
1. Ok so what about the participants' lipid profiles?  That means, cholesterol and triglycerides.  Saturated fats have been documented to have adverse effects on cholesterol, specifically LDL- the bad kind.  Since whole fat dairy does have saturated fats, does this mean that those with heart disease or who are prone to it should still avoid it?

2. We need to consider organics here.  Now I am an Aldi shopper.  Much like J. Lo insisting she's still Jenny from the block, I bring my quarter and reusable totes to the 'hood every weekend.  They do not offer organic milk.  Yet I buy it anyway.  Shameful.

Here's the deal with organic animal products though, and why I *should* be buying them:

You are what your food eats. 

Or as Ron Swanson said:

 

We eat beef.  We drink milk.  We eat cheese.  Ultimately the nutrition status depends on how the cow was fed.  If it was fed corn, as most cows are, any food from it will contain a higher amount of omega-6 fatty acids.  The grass-fed cow will have more omega-3 fatty acids.  Fun fact: our bodies want an ideal ratio of omega-3's : omega-6's.  Because our modern diet is so so so based on corn and corn products, we end up eating way too many omega-6 fatty acids.  This, in turn, puts us at higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

Think about it- why is it that Eskimos and northern populations, who have a diet high in fatty fish, have low rates of cardiovascular disease?  Because they are rockin' the omega-3s.  

If we are indeed to choose whole fat dairy, it really ought to be of the organic variety, as the fat profile will be more nutritious (i.e. more omega-3s, less omega-6s).  

Of course, let's wait 'til next week when the next study comes out proving me wrong in all the above.

*Sigh*

I'd eat that salad though, Ron.