The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

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The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (or THINCS) is a group of scientists, physicians, and other academicians from around the world who dispute the widely accepted lipid hypothesis of atherosclerosis. THINCS was founded in January 2003, and its founder and current spokesman is Uffe Ravnskov.

1 Cholesterol controversy
2 References
3 Further reading
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Cholesterol controversy

Since the 1950s, the lipid hypothesis (also known as the "Diet-Heart Idea"), which posits that animal fat and high cholesterol play a role in the causation of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, has gained increasing acceptance and support from members of the medical and scientific communities. THINCS members assert that the lipid hypothesis is not proven by the scientific evidence, and point to a significant number of scientific studies which are either inconclusive or have directly contradicted it.

The THINCS website states

“

For decades, enormous human and financial resources have been wasted on the cholesterol campaign, more promising research areas have been neglected, producers and manufacturers of animal food all over the world have suffered economically, and millions of healthy people have been frightened and badgered into eating a tedious and flavorless diet or into taking potentially dangerous drugs for the rest of their lives. As the scientific evidence in support of the cholesterol campaign is non-existent, we consider it important to stop it as soon as possible.

”

While various members of THINCS have different hypotheses of their own on the causes of heart disease, they are all united by the scientific approach to investigating their ideas and reject the lipid hypothesis as they believe it has repeatedly failed to be validated by scientific testing and research.^[1]

The THINCS website provides copious references to both published and unpublished commentary on the cholesterol debate.

[edit] References

^ www.thincs.org, main page. Accessed: 21 January 2007.

[edit] Further reading

Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease (2000), ISBN 0-96708-970-0, ISBN-13: 978-0967089706.