Associations of fats and carbohydrate

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  • posted by Michael Rolls
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    The full title of an article in The Lancet 29-8-17 is:-
    Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents
    The article itemises the methodology used and is hardly surprising to followers of the BSD. The conclusion:-
    >>>During follow-up, we documented 5796 deaths and 4784 major cardiovascular disease events. Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with an increased risk of total mortality (highest [quintile 5] vslowest quintile [quintile 1] category, HR 1·28 [95% CI 1·12–1·46], ptrend=0·0001) but not with the risk of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease mortality. Intake of total fat and each type of fat was associated with lower risk of total mortality (quintile 5 vs quintile 1, total fat: HR 0·77 [95% CI 0·67–0·87], ptrend<0·0001; saturated fat, HR 0·86 [0·76–0·99], ptrend=0·0088; monounsaturated fat: HR 0·81 [0·71–0·92], ptrend<0·0001; and polyunsaturated fat: HR 0·80 [0·71–0·89], ptrend<0·0001). Higher saturated fat intake was associated with lower risk of stroke (quintile 5 vs quintile 1, HR 0·79 [95% CI 0·64–0·98], ptrend=0·0498). Total fat and saturated and unsaturated fats were not significantly associated with risk of myocardial infarction or cardiovascular disease mortality.<<<
    And yet, commenting on the report, Dr. Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist of Public Health England is quoted in today’s Telegraph as saying{-
    “We recommend a balanced diet based on starchy carbohydrates while reducing total fat intake and swapping saturated fats for unsaturated.”
    The body of the report also says that three portions of the ‘5 a day’ mantra as just as good as 5 – more than three shows no measurable benefit (so what price the recent ’10 a day’ daftness?)
    Mike

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Just makes you want to scream and weep doesn’t it?!! What needs to be done to get through to these people? I’m just grateful I heard Dr MM’s Radio 2 broadcast back in 2016 and had the sense to make the change.

  • posted by Californiagirl
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    Thank you for this note, Mike! I looked it up and, as you mentioned, it isn’t surprising to me as a BSD’r BUT what IS surprising is the responses of so many doctors/nutritionists who STILL can’t accept the new research and STILL insist their guidelines are correct.
    Honestly, what is that all about? It almost seems like a puritanical kind of attitude, that you can’t eat your food and ENJOY it too.
    That or they have so internalized their “story” that it is heretical to cast doubt on it — but that is straying into a weird religious point of view, which doesn’t seem to properly associate with food intake.
    My favorite part is the inverse relationship with stroke/fat — more fat resulted in fewer strokes — I remember my mom going on a ultra- low fat diet because of family history of stroke and she became so unhappy with the restriction that she finally gave it up. Ultimately she passed away from cancer — maybe because of that stupid ultra-low fat diet.
    This research supports all the other benefits of more fat too — like less Alzheimers and dementia.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    I have given up trying to justify my diet or explain it to anyone. It works for me and that is what matters and I am glad there are so many of us now on this journey. Every time my doctor, surprised at my results, asks exactly what I eat I have to explain NO STARCHY CARBS then I say I eat FULL FAT FOODS like butter. cheese, cream etc and he sends me straight off for a Cholesterol test. Last time it was a bit up from 3.9 to 4.4 (due to overindulgence on a cruise) and even though it had always been around 6.7 a year ago he still threatens me with increased statins. He seems to forget that am getting these results even though he reduced my statins 9 months ago due to my very low cholesterol.

    However, I do think the message is getting across to the general public even if doctors are still entrenched in their beliefs that fat is bad, low fat is good. This is partly due to the fact that doctors are bound by the regulations they are given.

  • posted by SaltySeaBird
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    I wonder how long it will be before someone decides to sue the NHS/Health England because they have suffered serious health problems from following their ‘advice’ – I’m not at all in favour of the litigation culture, however, it might take something like that to force them to re-think. Remember all the people who were told that smoking would help their asthma ….
    SSB

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