by Chris Masterjohn Not much, simply because the data are so poor. However, let’s take a look at some data for the very weakly supported hypothesis that people in the 19th century with familial hypercholesterolemia lived longer than other people and perform a little “thought experiment” to see what it could teach us about genetics if …
In my last two posts, I argued for the importance of distinguishing the lipid hypothesis, which holds that high concentrations of cholesterol in the blood cause heart disease, from the diet-heart hypothesis, which holds that high amounts of saturated fat in the diet cause heart disease. If you missed them, you can read them here: The Proper …
In my last post (The Proper Use of the Term “Lipid Hypothesis”), I traced the origin of the term “lipid hypothesis” to Edward Ahrens in 1976, who defined it as the hypothesis that reductions in blood cholesterol levels will lead to reductions in heart disease risk. This can be seen as a testable prediction of …
There seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the term “lipid hypothesis” in pop science books, blogs, and other places. Often times, the lipid hypothesis is confused with the diet-heart hypothesis. The two are very different. The lipid hypothesis concerns the role of lipids in the blood. The diet-heart hypothesis concerns …
New Post over at the WAPF Blog: The 2010 USDA/HSS Dietary Guidelines — A Rather Bizarre Definition of “Nutrient Dense”
Who is in the driver’s seat? The gene, the cell, or the organism? It’s a complex question, and in a future post in this series, I’ll attempt to identify ideal metaphors we might use to understand this question. For now, I’d like to focus on how the cell utilizes its genes and controls their expression. …
Part III of The New Genetics If we are to understand the role of genes within a living organism, the first thing we must understand is that genes, by themselves, are inert. Put a gene in a petri dish with all the nutrients needed to make a protein and it will do nothing. Nada. Genes …
Part II of The New Genetics. I feel bad for the gene. Why? Well first, just take a look at his face. Why is Gene so sad? I think it’s because we’re always talking about him behind his back, saying things like “it’s genetic” and, “so-and-so has the gene for _____.” Because we decided who …
My overall review of Art De Vany’s The New Evolution Diet probably came across pretty negatively, but there’s a lot of stuff I like about the book that’s worth summarizing. Unfortunately, many of the poorer ideas in the book shine forth with a brighter light simply because these good ideas have been discussed in many other …
My review of Art De Vany’s new book, The New Evolution Diet is now posted: How Evolutionary Is the New Evolution Diet? If you feel so inspired, come back and leave comments here!