Is Your So-Called Good Diet Slowly Killing You? If you have Syndrome X -- and 60 to 75 million Americans do -- the widely recommended low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet may be the surest route to a heart attack. Now, Gerald Reaven, M.D., the pioneering Stanford University doctor who discovered Syndrome X, explains why: Even if your total cholesterol level is perfect, it may not shield you from a heart attack. Carbohydrates can be just as harmful as red meat or butter. A diet high in "good" fats (as much as 40 percent of calories) is actually better for you. The Zone diet, the Atkins diet, and the American Heart Association diet can each be dangerous under certain conditions. The failure of insulin, the body's "sugar cop," to process blood sugar is the key to Syndrome X. The Syndrome X diet and exercise program will keep you healthy and protect your heart even if you do not suffer from insulin resistance. Tested in carefully controlled research settings and in practice, the Syndrome X program is safe, effective, and easy to follow.