10 Studies That Made Me Rethink Everything About Diet, Strength, and Health

When I lost 100 pounds, people often asked me, “What was the turning point?”

Honestly, it wasn’t just about willpower or finding the right diet—it was about rebuilding my relationship with food, trusting the process, and holding onto faith when everything felt uncertain.

That journey led me to become a certified health coach. And along the way, I kept asking deeper questions:

Why is weight loss so hard to sustain? Why are we told fat is bad? What’s really behind our cravings, low energy, or chronic health issues?

So I started digging into the research. I read the studies that most people never hear about—ones referenced by experts in the carnivore and low-carb space, like Shawn Baker and Judy Cho. The science was surprising. It challenged everything I thought I knew about nutrition, strength, and well-being.

In this post, I’m sharing 10 of the most eye-opening studies I’ve come across. These are the ones that reshaped how I view health—and helped me keep the weight off, stay strong, and support others on their path to healing.

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1. Cholesterol and Stroke in Japan

Dietary intake of saturated fatty acids and mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC) Study

• Date: Aug 4, 2010
• Study: Serum total cholesterol and risk of mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease in general Japanese population.
• Key Point: Higher cholesterol levels were inversely associated with stroke risk—contradicting common advice.
• PubMed Link

2. Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease

• Date: Jan 13, 2010
• Study: Lack of association or inverse association between LDL cholesterol and mortality in elderly
• Key Point: This study reviewed 19 cohorts and found no link—or even an inverse link—between LDL and death in older adults.
• PubMed Link

3. Nutrition and Alzheimer’s Disease

Nutrition and Alzheimer’s disease: The detrimental role of a high carbohydrate diet

• Date: Oct 29, 2010
• Study: The detrimental role of a high-carbohydrate diet in Alzheimer’s
• Key Point: Argues that Alzheimer’s could be considered a form of “type 3 diabetes,” driven by carb-heavy diets.
• MIT Link

4. Cholesterol and Dementia Risk

High total cholesterol levels in late life associated with a reduced risk of dementia

• Date: April 20, 2005
• Study: High total cholesterol levels in late life associated with reduced risk of dementia
• Key Point: People with higher cholesterol had lower incidence of dementia—again contradicting the “cholesterol is bad” narrative.
• Neurology Link

5. Cholesterol and Depression in Women

Depressive Symptoms, Social Support, and Lipid Profile in Healthy Middle-Aged Women

• Date: September/October 1997
• Study: Depressive symptoms, social support, and lipid profile
• Key Point: Low cholesterol levels were linked to higher depressive symptoms in women.
• Psychosomatic Medicine Link

6. Low Cholesterol and All-Cause Mortality

Low serum cholesterol and external-cause mortality: Potential implications for research and surveillance

• Date: June 2009
• Study: Low serum cholesterol and external-cause mortality
• Key Point: Low cholesterol was associated with increased death from external causes like suicide and accidents.
• ScienceDirect Link

7. Saturated Fats and Health

Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

• Date: June 17, 2020
• Study: Saturated fats and heart disease—JACC State-of-the-Art Review
• Key Point: No significant evidence linking saturated fat with heart disease—calls for updated dietary recommendations.
• PubMed Link

8. PURE Study – Carbs vs Fat

Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study

• Date: Aug 29, 2017
• Study: Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries
• Key Point: High fat intake was linked to lower mortality. High carb intake? Higher mortality.
• PubMed Link

9. Red Meat and Health – 2020 Review

Unprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium

• Date: Nov 19, 2019
• Study: Unprocessed red meat and processed meat dietary guideline recommendations
• Key Point: Major review concluded there’s low-certainty evidence linking red meat to health risks—raising eyebrows in the nutrition world.
• PubMed Link

10. Minnesota Coronary Experiment (Reanalysis)

Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

• Date: April 12, 2016
• Study: Replacing saturated fat with vegetable oil increased mortality
• Key Point: Lowering cholesterol with vegetable oil didn’t save lives—in fact, it may have increased death risk.
• PubMed Link

Ready to Think Differently About Health?

These studies don’t just challenge mainstream narratives—they give us permission to explore a better way to eat, live, and thrive. If you’re ready to rethink your own health, I’d love to walk that path with you.

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You are truly worth it.