45 Comments

Absolutely yes!!!

But it needs to be grass fed tallow.

So we have to switch all cattle raising to regenerative methodologies all across the country.

There’s not much point in switching to a tallow that is contaminated with glyphosate, GMO residue, antibiotics and vaccines that industrial raised cattle are given.

We must put first things first, and change the way we are raising the cattle so what they yield is healthy meat, tallow and bones for broth.

It sounds like a big undertaking, but the reality is the federal government is subsidizing industrial agriculture to such a large extent that when the direction is given that subsidies will only go towards regenerative agriculture, the industry will change very quickly.

First things first.

Make America Healthy Again

Expand full comment

On a personal scale, grass-fed tallow or just not eating deep fried food is probably the way to go. On a society wide scale, grain-fed tallow is probably still better than rancid soybean oil, or even trying to make seed oils with less PUFA or more antioxidants - it will have to be a lengthy process with many avenues of attack and I think some diversity in approaches is definitely required to make a less fragile system. There are no solutions, only tradeoffs.

Expand full comment

With all that he is wrong about or the potentially harmful things he promotes (ie. Vaccines) the narrative of seed oils is something that I have been researching myself.

I’m autistic and after learning of histamine and the role it plays with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and how some people resolved symptoms with carnivore eating and cutting sugar/ carbs- I began the deep dive into diet and nutrition.

Reading about how doctors prescribe a carnivore diet to treat Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and knowing my own issues with intermittent allergic reactions to various chemicals, foods, and environmental factors I decided to try the carnivore diet for myself.

My husband did as well- he is also autistic and has issues with cystic acne, inflammation, and joint pain.

With my three neurodivergent boys we did a diet where we changed it to protein and low glycemic carbs (zucchini, spinach, etc)

The results were insane- previously coming from lower socioeconomic families we grew up eating diets mostly of processed foods and fast foods.

As adults me and my husband ate increasingly unhealthy and after our kids were born the stress lead us to rely on food deliveries.

So switching to whole foods and grass fed organic beef and chicken and cutting out all processed foods lead us to be alarmingly much more healthy.

Recently I came across this video called the “Oiling of America” and it was infuriating in the data it presented and the history of lobbying and such.

Our body NEEDS healthy fats and meat.

Yet the idea of what was healthy was influenced by lobbying and the results have been horrible for our country.

https://youtu.be/fvKdYUCUca8?si=WVCPizp1mTP9eHGV

Expand full comment

RFK is absolutely right about vaccines as I personally know people who have died or been injured by them including children. I am 81 years old and have never had any health problems - nor have I had any vaccines

Expand full comment

I am not ignorant to how vaccines can cause harm- in the neurodivergent community I know many who have overreactive immune systems that cause all sorts of long term issues post vaccines.

I believe that the immune response is more varied than the medical community understands and that is behind a lot of the reactions to vaccines.

Sadly like many things which don’t affect most it’s under researched.

The one thing that I wish would change about vaccines is how they add an ingredient that allows the vials to be multi-use which is linked to issues.

But sadly it’s something that for me and my family we see the alternative to no vaccines to be more detrimental than the risk of reactions- we just are careful to be aware of when we do vaccines and avoid them if any of us have had signs of high immune reactivity (rashes, inflammation, allergies, etc)

Expand full comment

Lack of vaccination is not the cause of acute illness.

Expand full comment

I didn’t say it was- lack of vaccination leads to the spread of some very serious infections.

Learning about how measles for example can wipe your immune system’s “antibody memory” and leave you vulnerable to so many more infections made me start my research into viruses and the damage they are capable of.

Reason why I believe them to be necessary seeing how many people populate our country and how many people we come in contact with.

Expand full comment

As Dr. Kildare said, "Suture self."

I have a book on medicine for children written by a Dr. of Chinese Medicine. He describes why getting the measles is good for a child where overall health including later adult health is concerned. People long ago instinctively knew these things. Acute illness is not a curse, it is a blessing. I am glad I got, and suffered with, measles, as well as the flu. I am better off for it. After all is said and done, Vitamin A is the way to go as regards measles.

Expand full comment

And I respect that- it’s a hard issue living in societies where choices can affect others.

It’s such a complex and complicated issues.

Expand full comment

I'm wondering, do you disagree with RFKs position or his position as stated by hostile media? As far as I know he's not saying vaccines should be banned, just that they should be properly tested with a real placebo and a real control group. Might make sense to evaluate what he is actually saying instead of hearsay from the media.

There is some research into fatty acid metabolism and its possible links to Autism Spectrum: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(20)30292-9/fulltext

Expand full comment

Could you clarify what position? I am actually in the process of learning about him.

But I don’t base my opinion off of any media- I am not afraid to admit I was ignorant of him and his stance until recently and have been trying to learn of the reasons why people are for and against him.

The only reason he caught my attention was him being the only politician to be able to bring to light the issues with food preservatives and such.

You last statement was somewhat hostile in how you already assumed I was just commenting based on the news passed around on social media.

I am one to research and learn but I also am humble enough to admit when I am ignorant on the issue or need more information.

Expand full comment

Also with the autism research I have been reading about the link between autism and mast cell activation syndrome and neuroinflammation and the gut microbiome.

I am interested to see if that you linked branches into what I have already read.

Expand full comment

But carnivore is unsustainable ( as I found out, and many others) and you will experience metabolic derangement. Please research into Dr Ray Peat, Haidut, Jay Feldman and Bioenergetic Healing. Even Dr Mercola just put out a book. Even Dr. Paul Saladino, the Carnivore Doc, eats fruit and honey now.

Expand full comment

It is logical, I could have told Saladino and Mercola that. The more concentrated protein you consume, the more carb your body needs, and you will eventually end up eating fruit and honey or any kind of sugar or liquor or...

It's basic: carb & protein must be in some sort of balance. Yes, our bodies can tolerate low- to no-carb for a period of time and we appear to do well. But soon enough, the sting in the tail shows itself.

Expand full comment

Everything in balance right?

Expand full comment

Right you are! In Chinese medicine, that is what it is all about. And in daily life. Thank you.

Expand full comment

As an American who is saddened by so much imbalance in society I have started to really lean into the philosophical ideas of Eastern philosophy/ religions.

For instance, trying to not fight the idea of life being innately hard and full of suffering has been kinda liberating not having to worry about the whys.

Nice to run into you on this space.

Expand full comment

I do eat certain low glycemic vegetables and fruits! But I eat protein daily and include other things based on my individual needs based on stress and life events.

For example on days where I have more strenuous brain activity or I am sick I eat fruits that are low glycemic index and low histamine (due to my histamine intolerance).

It was only for a month or two that I ate pure carnivore to reset my gut.

But it’s been around 5 months now and I’ve found the rhythm that fits my own needs for my body.

Me and my husband use information from researchers as knowledge but rely on our knowledge of our own bodies and reactions being neurodivergent as the authority.

Many times what is posed as THE way isn’t the way for us necessarily.

But I will check out the book to see his input.

Expand full comment

Ultimately I empower myself with as much research as I can but listen to my body too- being black, female, and autistic leaves too many wild cards that medicine and research doesn’t always account for sadly.

Expand full comment

Great research here as always, but honestly... I dont think switching the type of oil restaurants use to deep fry food is something that gobs of money and energy should be spent on. I could think of a long list of things that seem more impactful to focus on to turn around health, as I am sure many of you can also. But here is where I should probably just divest and say I really dont think a government, let alone the one in this country, has ever operated in a way OR WILL ever operate in a way that has the optimal health of its 'people' in its highest regard. Nonsense. No saviours there, and we should not be looking at a government to save us. If you want to eat fries that are fried in tallow, make them at home yourself or get some community members to rally and urge your local restaurants to switch. This top down stuff is just not the way to go imo. I could say more...Ill keep to this for now.

All said, Chris Masterjohn really does offer good research and food for tbought, so thanks!

Expand full comment

I agree, you don't need permission, let alone help from the government to improve your health. All this trying to help is what got everyone in trouble in the first place.

Expand full comment

Where does eating whole seeds, ie chia, hemp, seed crackers fit into this? Are whole seeds safe?

Expand full comment

Yes, whole seeds are generally safe. (Although they should ideally be soaked or sprouted using the traditional methods of our ancestors, to neutralize their naturally-occurring anti-nutrients like enzyme inhibitors and phytates.)

The trouble arises when you extract the oil from the whole food using industrial processes. High heat, high pressure, chemicals and other harsh processing factors render these fragile polyunsaturated oils toxic, rancid and pro-inflammatory. They're rancid before they even leave the factory. Then they get re-heated in kitchens, whether home or restaurant kitchens or food processing facilities, making them even more harmful.

The healthy fats and oils our ancestors used, which were based on eons of careful observation of what made their babies survive and thrive and their families strong, are the stable, more saturated kind, sourced using traditional methods and not giant industrial factories.

Expand full comment

If you need convincing, just watch the video on how “canola” oil is made. AKA Rapeseed oil.

It will turn your stomach.

Expand full comment

Thankyou for those excellent points..Tocopherols have long chain tails and rotate slower than Tocotrienols from the anatto seed..… which have shorter tails and mop up free radicals more efficiently …please read papers from Dr Barrie Tan… it is prudent to include Tocotrienols in your supplement routine..if you ingest foods cooked in any oils on a frequent basis.

Expand full comment

My favorite soy-free vitamin E has both: Purely-E from North American Herb & Spice that I buy on JigsawHealth.com.

Expand full comment

Glad you found something that helps you… just wondered if you ever read that report which points out taking both versions together is no t synergistic.. but each at separate ends of the day … research Astaxanthin… strangely it is a more potent form of Vit E, C and CoQ10 … just a thought.

Expand full comment

Been taking astaxanthin since 2007. I also take bovine liver caps. The asta is amazing for vision too, along with lutein, zeaxanthin and bilberry.

Expand full comment

Any "sound bite" (rallying cry) is of course a huge simplification. However RFK is definitely advocating to move the USA in the right direction toward better health!

Expand full comment

Yes! I think he is correct. PUFA's cause a myriad of issues... inflammation, inability to process carbohydrates properly (thus the success with carnivore diets), general cellular dysregulation, etc. PUFA's entered our diets before the turn of the century, but the second major blow came around 1910 when they finished sifting wheat germ out of our flour. With that we lost over 2 dozen nutrients including Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant and anticoagulant.

Some of the best data points for research -

• I agree with another commenter - The Oiling of America - article and podcast on Weston A. Price website: https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/179-the-oiling-of-america/#gsc.tab=0

• Superb article by A Midwestern Doctor: Learn how Ancel Keys cherry-picked the 7-continent cholesterol study then went on to do a 4.5-year study with over 9k patients. Results? For every 30 points their cholesterol was lowered with seed oils, the all-cause mortality increased by 22%! They didn't like the results, so they didn't publish the paper. It was found 30 years later in a basement, data analyzed and finally published in 2012.

https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-great-cholesterol-scam-and-the

• Ophthalmologist Chris Knobbe attributes macular degeneration and more to PUFA's. Watch one of his presentations and read his published medical hypothesis. (He is waiting on peer review for a paper on the subject)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZk-jNqzgE

https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.mehy.2017.10.010

• Wilfrid E. Shute, MD's book "Vitamin E for Ailing & Healthy Hearts" opened my eyes. Like Dr. Knobbe, they went looking for the source of their patient's dis-ease and found heart disease almost non-existent prior to 1910 when the wheat germ was sifted out of our flour. They used one of the compounds found in wheat germ - Vitamin E - in high doses - and reversed CHF, recovered heart attack victims and more! Read for free with an account on archive.org. https://archive.org/details/vitamineforailin00shut/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater

Expand full comment

Great analysis of these studies!

It’s a step in the rich direction, but it’s too simplistic to say tallow oil will fix the problem. The quality of the tallow, the antioxidant content, the freshness, the number of times it’s reused for frying, maybe even the temperature…all these factors are critical. MAHA needs to abandon simplistic slogans, and replace them with slogans and acronyms that promote complexity and thoroughness in our thinking. A healthy American also needs to be an intelligent critical thinking America.

Expand full comment

Can you PLEASE be an advisor to RFK? How do we get you on his team?!

Expand full comment

"2) Even in the highest adherence group there is 3x the cancer in the seed oil group. There is overall 3x the cancer in the >10%, so it's clearly not isolated to the low adherence."

The first statement seems disingenuous, especially when the 80-90% control group has 4x the incidents of the experimental group.

The second statement seems straightforwardly wrong, there are 15 incidents in the >10% control group and 21 in the >10% experimental group, which makes a ratio of 1.4x. Still a notable difference, but I'm not sure it would reach statistical significance.

"3) If you were to posit it's all due to low adherence you are left with a really weird trend: why did it take years for the cancer trend *difference* between the groups to emerge and why did it keep separating over time if this is a result of randomness?"

Cancer takes time to develop, if the experimental group had more people with undiscovered cancer initially then this would take time to show up in the absolute difference. The fact the difference in ratio only showed up after the third year could be attributed to noise.

I wrote up a quick simulation with 10,000 participants split into two groups with a 0.5% chance of deadly cancer for each person (equivalent to the incident rate of the study), and ran it for 10,000 iterations. The average difference in cancer deaths between each group was about 28%. The number of simulations that reached a >80% difference from randomness alone was about 6%, suggesting a 6% chance that this difference was purely random.

The fact the difference narrows when only considering participation over 10% increases the chance this is a random result though, with only 40% higher incidence which is quite close to the 28% average.

Expand full comment

Bought my first tub of lard at the supermarket this week. Gonna fry me up a big ol’ mess o’ taters.

Expand full comment

What's wrong with unrefined sesame oil? The Japanese have been consuming it for aeons and while they as a group do have health issues (from too much salty and preserved food), I don't think it is sesame-oil related.

Expand full comment

Chris,

your ability to give a succinct summary of a highly complex topic is almost unprecedented.

I wish RFK would give you a scientific advisory role in future US health politics.

Thanks for your work.

Expand full comment

Hmmm... read Patricia Kane yrs ago... I'll have to dig it back up but I think she promotes PUFAs for brain health? She was cell membrane researcher

Expand full comment