Day 033 - 10 Oct 94 - Page 19
1 A. The two do tend to go, to run together, and in most
2 every study a diet that is high in fat will also be low in
3 fibre. That is not always the case. There can be some
4 exceptions, but, for the most part, that is true.
5
6 MR. MORRIS: As regards the development of cancers, different
7 cancers, are some of them linked specifically with the fat
8 content and not necessarily linked with fibre?
9 A. OK. I hope I am not making things more complicated
10 with this response, but fat and fibre appear to not only
11 go together in the diet, such that a high fat diet will be
12 low in fibre, a high fibre diet will typically be --
13 a high fibre diet will typically be low in fat, but they
14 do also have independent effects physiologically. A high
15 fat diet can elevate oestrogen levels. A high fibre diet
16 can reduce them. So, they do have an independent effect.
17
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I understand that, but when you mention
19 cholesterol, we are looking at cardiovascular disease
20 rather than cancer?
21 A. Correct.
22
23 Q. I did not make it clear that the question I was putting to
24 you was in relation to cancers; do you understand?
25 A. With regard to heart disease, the particular point
26 I was raising ----
27
28 Q. Forget heart disease for the moment, because I understand
29 what you have said there; that may have nothing to do with
30 low fibre because the culprit you are suggesting is high
31 fat. You are not suggesting a protective mechanism in
32 high fibre so far as heart disease is concerned?
33 A. I did not allude to it, but, yes, there is a
34 protective effect of fibre. Fibre helps eliminate
35 cholesterol from the body and may have other effects,
36 cholesterol lowering effects. But I did not mention that
37 in my statement.
38
39 Q. You can point to a particular mechanism, you say, so far
40 as heart disease is concerned, in high fat regardless of
41 the fibre element of a particular diet?
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. When we come to cancer are you saying that as well, or are
45 you saying we should take high fat/low fibre as a
46 package? It may be of relevance in this case when I come
47 to look at the number of occasions people may, or a
48 significant proportion of the population may, eat in
49 McDonald's, because it may be one thing to say: "If they
50 eat X often at McDonald's their diet will be high in fat
51 and saturated fat". It may not follow that in those cases
52 it would be low in fibre, do you understand?
53 A. Yes.
54
55 Q. That is why I want to see if it is a complete package,
56 high fat/low fibre, or not?
57 A. I think it may be overall helpful to try to separate
58 the two. Studies have shown, for example, with the effect
59 on hormones, that just as a high fat diet will elevate
60 cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease,
