Attacks on Atkins Diet are not scientific; it threatens the mainstream by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick

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Tuesday, May 11, 2010 8:52 am Email this article

"I wanted to make it clear that the attacks on Atkins are not scientific, not rational. Atkins, may he rest in peace, is being attacked because his diet threatens the mainstream. He and his supporters are being subjected to the secular equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition…." says Dr. Malcolm Kendrick.

(This article was written by Malcolm Kendrick, MD, author of the wonderful, eye-opening, paradigm-shifting book The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It .) Karl Popper

Science Philosopher, Karl Popper

I am a great fan of the science philosopher Karl Popper, that is, whenever I can manage to understand what it is that he is saying.

I get through one paragraph at a time, very slowly, then I have to go and lie down until my brain stops hurting.

Popper has much to say on the theme of science, scientific progress and the like.

He was highly pro-science and the proper use of the scientific method.

 

Entranced by a Hypothesis

Popper was aware of the danger that scientists could become so entranced by a hypothesis

But he was also acutely aware of the danger that science, and scientists, could become so entranced by a hypothesis that it became the answer, the truth, a belief.

 

Big Breakthroughs

The big breakthroughs, were generally forced through against the might of the prevailing scientific orthodoxy

And those who dared to question such a fundamental belief were metaphorically burned at the stake.

In fact, if you were to share my interest in the development of scientific thought, it is clear that the big breakthroughs, the things that we all now accept as true e.g. the theory of evolution, were generally forced through against the might of the prevailing scientific orthodoxy.

 

Darwin Was Not the First to Propose Evolution

Darwin was not the first to propose evolution, but the others were crushed

And, in general, the famous scientists that you have heard of e.g. Darwin, usually followed a few others who were crushed so effectively that there names have vanished from the record.

Darwin was far from the first to propose the theory of evolution.

However those, like Chambers, who promoted the idea before Darwin were cut down and humiliated by the leading scientists of the time who believed that a species could not change into another species — for some unfathomable reason or another.

Darwin bided his time, and let a few others line his path to glory with their broken reputations.

This happened about one hundred and fifty years ago.

 

Unquestioned Dogma

The dogma of Global Warming; This may or may not be true, but neither belief is based on rational thought; They are driven by rather deeper, emotional beliefs.

However, with regard to unquestioned dogma, things are much the same today.

As I write this, there are new hypotheses that cannot be questioned.

For example, the hypothesis that mankind is causing global warming by burning fossil fuels.

Or, that we are creating a massive hole in the Ozone layer by use of CFCs.

The hole in the Ozone layer closed up last year by the way — but you probably never heard much about that.

Anyway, dare to question those two orthodoxies and you will receive hysterical abuse.

Everybody just knows that the world is warming up, and we are ripping a great hole in the Ozone layer.

This may or may not be true, but neither belief is based on rational thought.

They are driven by rather deeper, emotional beliefs.

As an aside, when you find yourself really wanting to believe that something is true — then it usually isn’t.

 

The Dogma About the Atkins Diet

Current scientific orthodoxy has decreed that a high fat diet, especially saturated fat, is bad for health—those at the heart of the medical community say this ‘truth’ cannot be questioned

However, over to Atkins.

Current scientific orthodoxy has decreed that a high fat diet, especially saturated fat, is bad for health.

It raises cholesterol, kills us from heart disease, and causes breast cancer and all sorts of other nasty things.

For many, and especially those at the heart of the medical community, this is a Truth that cannot be questioned.

And a huge scientific and financial structure has grown up around this Truth.

But in the last few years Dr Atkins and his diet have begun to make significant inroads.

Now, I know that people generally use the Atkins diet for weight loss, and not any other health promoting reasons.

But the Atkins diet was virtually heresy.

Here was a man saying that if you ate saturated fat you would lose weight and be healthier.

People taking the Atkins diet even had the cheek to find that their cholesterol levels dropped.

Shock horror.

 

Immunizing Tactics

Immunizing Tactics —How they defend sacred beliefs

At first the scientific community used the first of the immunizing tactics that scientists use to defend sacred beliefs, as defined by Popper:

Immunizing tactics

1: Ignore the refutation
2: Deny that the refutation is a refutation
3: Develop ad-hoc hypothesis to explain contradictory results

 

Atkins Was Ignored At First

Atkins was ignored, then they tried to explain away his results

So at first Atkins was ignored, but he would not go away.

The mainstream medical church then said that the Atkins diet was not actually high in fat, or at least not the really damaging sort of fat.

But it was, so that didn’t work.

They then said that there was a huge bulk of evidence to support the hypothesis that saturated fat raised cholesterol levels, and that Atkins was wrong.

But he wasn’t, and the trials set up to show that the Atkins diet was dangerous were hopeless failures, in that these trials confirmed what Akins had said all along.

People on the Atkins diet achieved a reduction in cholesterol levels (not that I believe this matters a tin of beans).

Where next to support the diet/heart hypothesis.

The ‘hypothesis that is the truth,’ as revealed to us by Ancel Keys.

Where next indeed?

After failing to show terrible dangerous levels of raised blood cholesterol, or any other nasty things, came the personal attacks.

Atkins is a dangerous man promoting a highly dangerous diet.

Atkins is not a scientist, how can he know anything.

Aktins cannot prove the benefits of his diet, he hasn’t done the required research (mostly true, by the way).

 

Terror Tactics Used To Attack Atkins Diet

Atkins diet is NOT dangerous, does NOT damage your kidneys, does NOT make blood acidic, does NOT upset metabolism

Next came the terror tactics: the Atkins diet is dangerous and damages your kidneys; makes your blood acidic; it upsets your metabolism; and, in fact, people are dying on the diet.

This is all complete rubbish.

Whilst it is true that a diet high in fat and protein will result in greater production of acidic residues, ketone bodies and the like, and your blood and urine will become slightly more acidic, there is not the slightest, remotest, teeny weeniest piece of evidence to support the claim that this is in any way damaging.

Not a single clinical end-point has ever been demonstrated to be affected.

And if you read anything that does claim the Atkins diet is damaging, please take the time to read the small print — if you can find it.

What you will normally discover is that the level of some substance in the blood is found to be raised which may (note the word may), lead to kidney damage.

But by the time this reaches the newspapers it has been converted into ‘Atkins diet kills thirteen year old girl by destroying her kidneys.’

 

The Innuit People in Canada

The Innuit People in Canada, who existed almost entirely on fat and protein, and rarely ate vegetables, found to be in exceptional health; no signs of heart disease or kidney disease

Perhaps those leading the Atkins attacks would care to raise their gaze up to the Innuit in Canada and the frozen north.

In years gone by they rarely ate a vegetable, any fruit or a carbohydrate molecule.

They existed almost entirely on fat and protein.

When they were studied (before their lifestyle changed), they were found to be in exceptional health.

Without, it must be added, any sign of heart disease or renal failure.

 

Attacks On Atkins Are Not Scientific

Attacks on atkins are not scientific, not rational; attacked because his diet threatens the mainstream

But my point, the point of this column, is not to discuss whether or not the Atkins diet works.

I wanted to make it clear that the attacks on Atkins are not scientific, not rational.

Atkins, may he rest in peace, is being attacked because his diet threatens the mainstream.

 

Equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition

‘Admit that you are wrong, or I shall destroy your reputation.’

He, and his supporters, are being subjected to the secular equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition.

‘Admit that you are wrong, or I shall destroy your reputation.’

None of the attacks on Atkins are scientific, none of them are correct.

 

Attempt to Protect The Sacred Diet/Heart Hypothesis

Attempt to Protect The Sacred Diet/Heart Hypothesis

They are an attempt by the ‘herd’ to protect the sacred diet/heart hypothesis.

The sort of attacks that Popper would have recognised for what they are.

Atkins must be destroyed to protect the mighty diet-heart hypothesis.

And all of the recent articles that just seem to be springing out of nowhere about the terrible dangers of the Atkins diet are designed to do just this.

—————

 

Article Previous Published on THINCS.org

This article was previously published on THINCS.org

This article was previously published on THINCS.org (The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics).

I republished the article here with Dr. Kendrick’s permission.

 

Malcolm Kendrick’s Contact Info

Malcolm Kendrick’s Email Address—.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Malcolm Kendrick, MD is the author of the wonderful, eye-opening, paradigm-shifting book book The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It .)

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Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Doctor - Malcolm Kendrick, MD author of "The Great Cholesterol Con"

• Low Carbohydrate Diets