I’ve seen conflicting news about nutrition before but this one has them topped. I’ve put in a request to the lead researcher of this latest article for a copy of the study. However I’ve read enough of what’s public to post my thoughts on this latest wild news story.
This big meta-analysis of the research concludes there is no convincing evidence that a diet containing saturated fat leads to heart disease and the only culprits that stood out in this mass of data were Trans fats.
What the conclusion doesn’t state is that all animal products, including dairy, contains trans fat. Trans fat is naturally occurring in animal products (just as dangerous) and it’s a known cause of lowering HDL cholesterol and raising LDL cholesterol – both factors contributing to coronary artery disease.1. So if the general public is looking for reasons to load up on meat and dairy they would be better served to think twice.
It’s also interesting to note the disclaimer of potential conflicts of interest for funding of this study. You might want to take a look below at where most of the funds came from.
Potential Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Franco:
Grants: Nestlé and Metagenics. Dr. Butterworth: Grants: Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and Novartis; Personal fees:Roche Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Thompson: Grants: Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation. Dr. Khaw: Grants: Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK. Dr. Mozaffarian: Personal fees: Bunge, Pollock Institute, Quaker Oats, Life Sciences Research Organization, Foodminds, Nutrition Impact, Amarin, AstraZeneca, Winston & Strawn, Unilever North American Scientific Advisory Board, and UpToDate online chapter. Dr. Danesh: Personal fees: Merck Sharp & Dohme UK Atherosclerosis Advisory Board, Novartis Cardiovascular & Metabolic Advisory Board, Pfizer Population Research Advisory Panel, and Sanofi Advisory Board; Grants: British Heart Foundation; British United Provident Association Foundation; diaDexus; European Research Council; European Union; Evelyn Trust; Fogarty International Centre; GlaxoSmithKline; Merck; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Health Service Blood and Transplant; Novartis; Pfizer; Medical Research Council; University of British Columbia; University of Sheffield; Wellcome Trust; and UK Biobank; Nonfinancial support:Merck Sharp & Dohme UK Atherosclerosis Advisory Board, Novartis Cardiovascular & Metabolic Advisory Board, Pfizer Population Research Advisory Panel, Sanofi Advisory Board, diaDexus, and Roche Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Di Angelantonio: Grant: British Heart Foundation, European Union, National Health Service Blood and Transplant, and Medical Research Council; Royalties: Elsevier (France).
Here’s a link to the article if you haven’t yet seen it. Click here:
I guess I will rest my keyboard for now.
National Institute of Health; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf
