With every health provider advising us to stick to a low-fat diet, it is a mystery, as to why there is no credible explanation from scientists or medical experts for the French paradox. Whatever explanations are offered have gaping holes in them.
The so-called French Paradox is a term coined back in the 1980s by three Frenchmen to explain an inconsistent finding: If you compare deaths from heart attacks with the amount of saturated fats countries consume, it is in direct proportion.
The French, however, defy this generally accepted finding. For example, the French have saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in their diet similar to that of the people of Finland, but have a five times lower rate of fatal heart attacks.
Morley Safer, a Canadian, American reporter, and correspondent for CBS News, made The French Paradox famous in 1991. He ran a program called 60 minutes explaining the various aspects of the paradox and the possible reasons for the same.
What is the French Paradox?
The National Center for Biotechnical Information defines the French Paradox thus:
“The French paradox is the observation of low coronary heart disease (CHD) death rates despite high intake of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat.”
The World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, the British Heart Foundation, the World Heart Federation, and the European Food Safety Authority advise against the consumption of saturated fats because this is a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The French eat all the butter, cream, fatty liver pate, pork, pastries, cheese, buttery croissants, and creamy Brie. Their diet contains three times the saturated fat than the American diet.
To add to the paradox, the French diet not only swims in a torrent of saturated fat but also accompanies a bottle of wine. The French eat four times the butter, 60 percent more cheese, and nearly three times as much pork compared to the Americans.
What has baffled the authorities is how the French, who drink alcohol and consume a high saturated fat diet without inhibition, stay slim and run a low risk of heart disease.
The French are a nation of smokers and do not indulge much in exercising. According to Celia Walden, British journalist, novelist, and critic, “The whole fitness gig doesn’t suit the French, who would rather focus on pleasure than pain.”
With these dietary and lifestyle habits of the French, you would think that France is a country of overweight and obese people.
However, surprisingly, only seven percent of the French are obese, which is the lowest obesity rate in Europe. At the same time, health-conscious Americans have a high percentage of obesity (about 35 percent) and cardiovascular cases.
Check out these figures:
- The incidence of heart-related deaths in France is a little over one-third as compared with that in America.
- In the U.S., 106.5 per 100,000 people die of heart disease. In France, 39.8 per 100,000 people die of heart disease.
- The average life of an American is 74 years while amongst the French it is 76.5 years.
About the French and cholesterol levels
The paradox goes on deepening even further. The French have the highest levels of blood cholesterol as compared with people of other European countries.
The desirable level of total cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL. The French boast of average cholesterol levels of around 250mg/dL.
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL.
Serge Renaud, M.D., Ph.D. conducted a study on the diet of the French and concluded that:
The French diet is based on southwestern Mediterranean cuisine, which is high in omega-3 oils and antioxidants. It also includes moderate consumption of red wine, which lowers the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease by increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and reducing LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).
Explaining the French paradox
Studies on the French paradox suggest two possibilities, which could explain the low incidence of heart disease in spite of the high-fat foods, which the French consume.
- Firstly, the theory that eating saturated fat foods increases the risk of coronary heart disease is not well founded.
- Secondly, suppose the theory is true, then there must be some additional component in the diet and lifestyle of the French, which reduces the risk.
There is, however, a third point of view. It says that the French could possibly be collecting statistics in a different way compared to other countries and that could be the reason for the creation of the French paradox.
Most feel the second reasoning, to be more plausible. What is it that the French do, which allows them to eat all the animal fat and yet gives them a longer life?
Red wine, Resveratrol, and the French paradox
It was Serge Renaud, M.D., Ph.D., “Father of the French Paradox,” who ran comprehensive research on the beneficial effects of red wine on health. Renaud insisted that the French habit of regular but moderate consumption of red wine with meals was responsible for their better health being.
Red wine is made from red grapes, which are rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, especially resveratrol. Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemicals, which have a strong influence in preventing diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Drinking red wine frequently gives the French a regular intake of flavonoids, which protects them from heart disease. Resveratrol is also known for its anti-aging properties, which could explain the increased lifespan of the French people.
Drinking grape juice may not be so beneficial, according to research. It is something in the wine-making process that enriches the flavonoid concentration in red wine. This seems to be the most common explanation for the French paradox.
Is it the French lifestyle and diet?
Other reasons have also been put forward, which correlate with the lifestyle habits of the French people.
- The French eat smaller portions, several times a day and they do not snack. Secondly, their meals are consistent and taken at the same time every day.
- Their diet is also rich in fruits and vegetables, meaning that their intake of dietary fiber is high. This helps to offset the harmful effects of fatty foods.
- They mainly eat homemade food and are not much into processed foods. This indicates that they hardly consume any transfats, which are the most dangerous of all fats.
- Walking is a part of their daily lifestyle.
- The French are water drinkers, preferring water to aerated drinks.
- The vast majority of French cycle a lot for leisure and as a means of transportation.
Holes in the French Paradox explanation
If red wine contains protective antioxidants, why does it not protect the French from cancer? Antioxidants protect us not only from heart disease but also from cancer. France stands sixth in the rate of cancer cases in the world! The U.S. stands seventh and the UK is 22nd on the list.
Overall, it is difficult to say whether all this sounds convincing, but the fact remains that a lot more research needs to be done in-depth, to come up with some concrete explanation for the French paradox.