Book Review: Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz

Surprise! Fat does not give you heart disease, cancer or make you fat!

This is the Big Fat Surprise this book’s title refers to and the main idea in this book. The author Nina Teicholz spent years researching facts, research, and interviewed a variety of leading scientists and doctors engaged in food research. Her background proves she is unbiassed and that she really wanted to find out the facts about fat, cholesterol, and the effects of eating animal meats, eggs, and dairy.  

What Nina uncovers are major flaws made by the human condition that yielded faulty science through impatience and being overly confident, almost dangerously egotistical. Throw greed and capitalism in the mix and we have a powerful movement to reduce the use of saturated fats in our society. Amazingly, I learned in this book the truth about saturated fats historically, scientifically, and politically. I learned more studies that support the Inuit and other indigenous peoples’ diets which mainly comprise of fatty organ meats, and animal fat. The Inuit, and those researching this diet, did not die of heart disease or scurvy. I also learned that studies comparing wild meats to domesticated meats found that saturated fats didn’t vary. Wild meats were actually higher in monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and also Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. Later we read in the book how polyunsaturated fats underwent more widespread use in high heat, unstable environments (fried food). I was shocked to learn how dangerously combustible the remaining residues of the polyunsaturated oils are.  

Another surprise in this book was the scrutiny on the research supporting the removal of Trans Fats used in processed food. The author does a good job at objectively analyzing the events and research done to judge trans fats. She exposes the holes in this research but also sheds light on how many other types of newly formed triglycerides are made during hydrogenation and interesterification, which is the new method used to process polyunsaturated fats. These newly formed triglycerides could very well be just as harmful, if not more, than trans fats.

I am not thrilled about Nina's support of dairy, especially without mentioning the harmful effects of pasteurization. Though, if the reader is able to integrate the overarching theme of this book, to look back historically and critique new scientific research, then one could also apply historical traditions used with dairy to make better food choices.

This book helps us look at the actual research, or rather lack of good research, to assess the decisions made by corporations, government recommendations, and doctor recommendations. It helps us recognize the harm that has ensued, rather blindly, irresponsibly, and possibly criminal. Over the past 50 years, the correlation between the high uses of polyunsaturated oils (in unstable and toxic forms) and the reduction of saturated fats has led to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and larger epidemics such as depression, violence, and suicide. This book inspires all to start incorporating more organic, grass-fed, humanely raised meats/organs into our diet.