The "carbs vs. fat" diet war is a distraction. The body adapts to its fuel source, and on a caloric basis, excess energy from either carbohydrates or fats is stored as body fat to the same degree. Cutting calories from either source leads to similar weight loss.

The "zero fat" label often serves as a misleading health halo. To remove fat, manufacturers frequently add starchy, artificial fillers and sugars to maintain taste and texture, making the product more processed and less healthy than its full-fat counterpart.

In a head-to-head study, a diet high in fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi significantly increased microbiome diversity and lowered markers of inflammation. A high-fiber diet did not consistently produce these effects, suggesting that introducing live microbes is a more direct strategy for improving gut health and immune status in Western populations.

Contrary to the narrative of decline, overall U.S. dairy consumption per capita is at its highest level in 40 years. While fluid milk consumption has dropped, this is more than offset by the booming popularity of value-added products like cheese, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese.

HDL cholesterol, typically seen as protective, can become dysfunctional in the presence of risk factors like smoking or obesity. This dysfunctional HDL then contributes to atherosclerosis instead of preventing it, challenging the simplistic 'good vs. bad' cholesterol narrative.

The key to understanding modern nutrition is to recognize that all carbohydrates are processed by the body into blood sugar. This mental model—that a loaf of bread is functionally a loaf of sugar—cuts through complex dietary advice and explains why high-carb diets contribute to metabolic diseases.

The FDA commissioner argues that nutrition science is one of science's most corrupted fields. This led to a flawed food pyramid that demonized natural fats and promoted refined carbs, directly contributing to the epidemic of prediabetes in 38% of American children.

The fitness trend of consuming very high amounts of protein (e.g., 1g per pound of body weight) is not supported by data. Amounts exceeding 1 gram per kilogram, especially from animal sources, can lead to systemic inflammation and promote the development of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries).

Focusing solely on LDL is a mistake. Even individuals with a genetic mutation leading to lifelong low LDL levels can still have cardiovascular events if they have other unmanaged risk factors like metabolic syndrome, obesity, or diabetes, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach.