SOMOT LIVE: Dr. Ovadia Responds to Inaccuracies in HuffPo Article

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SOMOT LIVE: Dr. Ovadia Responds to Inaccuracies in HuffPo Article

Dr. Philip Ovadia

Feb 21, 2023

Dr. Ovadia was quoted in a Huffington Post article. The headlines were mostly accurate, but the body of the article was a comical mish-mash of misinformation, mal-information, and outright ignorance.

In this recording from a live Twitter Spaces, Dr. O sets the record straight. He also takes questions from the audience.

A few excerpts on The 5 Harmful Myths About Food's Effect on Heart Health:
Myth 1. A low-fat diet is best for heart health.
While trans fat and hydrogenated fats found in processed foods should be avoided, saturated fat, which has been historically linked to heart disease, is not the real culprit. It's the polyunsaturated fat that’s more harmful to your health.

Myth 2. Eggs are bad for your heart.
Despite eggs' high cholesterol content, our blood cholesterol levels are not much impacted by the cholesterol in our diet.

Myth 3. Red meat should be avoided at all costs.
There is no strong evidence of red meat affecting heart health.

Myth 4. If you're on medication for your heart health, it means you can eat whatever you want.
Statins have little effect on weight, but a nutrient-poor diet increases the risk of heart disease. Improving your diet won't need you to take any more medications.

Myth 5. Changing your diet isn't enough to reverse the damage already done to your heart.
It’s never too late to start looking after your heart. A change in your diet and lifestyle can still improve your situation.

Quick Guide
01:33 Introduction
03:21 Myth 1. A low-fat diet is best for heart health
08:34 Myth 2. Eggs are bad for your heart
11:55 Myth 3. Red meat should be avoided at all costs
19:18 Unpacking the myth about salt
28:01 Myth 4. If you're on medication for your heart health, it means you can eat whatever you want
34:22 Myth 5. Changing your diet isn't enough to reverse the damage already done to your heart
38:29 Hotdogs as part of your diet
41:26 Why are there numerous myths about this
46:13 Why is it hard to reduce obesity in the country
58:09 Diet is good, but cholesterol is up

“I just disagree with sort of their thinking that you need to take the medication and improve your diet when the real answer is just to improve your diet and you won't need the medications. And in a lot of these cases, the medications aren't doing what we're told they're supposed to do and that's not because of what people are doing with the medication. That's really because these medications are ineffective. And we have a lot of data to support that.” - Dr. Philip Ovadia

Episode snippets
02:26 - 03:13 The American Heart Association advice worsens the risks of heart disease
20:25 - 21:41 It’s not the salt that should be blamed
25:28 - 26:49 Find a good quality salt
29:28 - 30:06 Statins are ineffective
46:27 - 47:40 The guide to overcoming obesity is outdated