And I have to say that I didn’t need nuts or flax oil to lose the 112 pounds I’ve lost so far. And I’ve been quite satiated on a low-fat diet.

So while what you say may be correct for every other human on the planet, this one individual human is going to stick with McDougalling.

Proof is in the (low-fat, vegan) pudding.

Fatty *foods* like avocados, olives, and nuts are very healthy for a person but a lot of problems can crop up with all the added *oils* that people eat, which are very bad for anybody (though people with higher health levels overall and better genetics are naturally going to see fewer problems with the added oils.)

Here is a good article from Dr. McDougall about the potential pitfalls and dangers of added oils:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

My personal opinion, based on loads of reading, is that most people should not be taking calcium supplements, unless there is a clear reason to (e.g. they have an illness that depletes calcium). I actually got side effects from taking a calcium supplement (back when I hadn’t researched this subject so thoroughly). My muscles were hurting all the time. It’s funny as I have tried loads of pills, both supplements and meds, and I hardly ever get side effects from anything – yet something which is generally used as a “placebo” made me feel worse.

I also agree that the fact that most people live until fairly old age is no proof that the common Western diet doesn’t do much harm. Most people are taking loads of medications, and one in three people gets cancer in their lifetime. Many old people have a very low quality of life because of their health problems, despite their medications.

And there are always people who smoke but still live to be 100… Which doesn’t mean that smoking doesn’t do much harm. It is interesting though that many countries (like Greece and Japan) have long life expectations despite huge smoking rates – because they eat more veggies and are less obese than e.g. the Americans.

IMO there is no reason for most people to eat a very low-fat diet. If you are a vegan and aren’t eating loads of margarines with trans fats etc, you’re already getting mostly good fat. And the human body needs good fat, and to some extent the more the better. Of course if you’re obese, reducing the fat content of your diet may be a good way to lose weight, but you can lose weight by other ways as well. Fat does have satiating properties, and most vegan, non-refined fatty foods (like nuts and avocados) are extremely healthy.

Thanks.

Congratulations on getting your medications cut. That definitely sounds like a good sign to me. We hope it continues.

As for my health, I think it’s getting better. I just realized I need to change my corrective eyewear prescription (though I have to wait a few months before the exam will be covered.) The diabetes was already making me go blind and the doctor stepped my presciption up two levels. After seven months low-fat vegan, he’s going to need to step it back down again! It’s way too strong for me now. That’s got to be a good sign.

Fair point and I appreciate the perspective. There are those people, such as you and the patients in Dr. Esselstyn’s wonderful book, for whom veganism has literally saved their lives. That ’s fantastic that PCRM’s dietary approach to diabetes has been a lifesaver for you. And probably at no rise in cost of living. Shame the medical profession as a whole hasn’t embraced this approach.