Debunking Ancel Keys conspiracy theories

The Kevin Bass Show

In this episode, I discuss facts and myths about Ancel Keys.

If carbs are the cause of obesity, as they are for many (non-scientist) diet book authors, then someone is *responsible* for making us eat so many carbs.

Ancel Keys provides a convenient enemy. He provides a unitary target, a sole cause, a single demon, one story.

But how TRUE is this story? Let us review.

First, it is claimed that Ancel Keys cherrypicked his Seven Country Study: he had access to the data for 22 countries but chose to include only 7.

This is wrong. Keys selected 6 countries from publicly available data to show a relationship between saturated fat and heart disease. Two of his critics plotted an additional 16 countries showing the relationship was in fact weaker if these new countries were included, but still valid (PMID 33496369).

In any case, this selection of 6 countries out of 22 predates the famous Seven Countries Study PMID (33496369).

The SCS included only seven countries because only investigators from seven countries agreed to collaborate with Keys.

Keys would have liked to have had more countries included. Indeed, it is claimed that Keys purposefully excluded France. However, France was invited: PMID 29121230.

Keys has been accused of misanalyzing the data from Greece during Lent. This is also false. PMID 29121230.

Indeed:

1. Keys's work had limitations of which he was aware;

2. We are right to be skeptical of the conclusions of that research in isolation;

3. Yet Keys's research was carefully conducted, and with integrity.

It is claimed that Keys ignored the relationship between sugar and heart disease, derailing Yudkin’s career.

It is true that Keys was not gentle to Yudkin, but the data at the time did not favor Yudkin's hypothesis. PMID 33496369

(It does not appear to us that the data favored either Keys or Yudkin's views.)

Keys would later promote a dietary approach that went beyond saturated fat and blood cholesterol: the Mediterranean diet. PMID 33496369

Finally, some of Keys’s major achievements (PMID 33496369).

Conspiracy theories about Keys are propagated by diet book authors to try to control weak-minded followers.

Don't fall for it.

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