Day 269 - 25 Jun 96 - Page 40


     
     1        the diet.  And I think we have a lot of confidence about
     2        that.
     3
     4   Q.   Apparently not, if these people are right.  Can we turn
     5        over the page.
     6        A.   With respect, Mr. Rampton, I mean, they do recommend,
     7        I cannot find it here, but I am sure that they recommend at
     8        the end of the day, having examined the evidence and
     9        considering these factors and the fine definitions of
    10        causes and development and mortality, that at the end of
    11        the day all these bodies are recommending that we reduce
    12        fat and particularly saturated fat intake because of the
    13        risk they associate with ill-health.
    14
    15   Q.   Well, with ill-health, yes.  Can I ask you --
    16        A.   Or cancer in this case.
    17
    18   Q.   Well, please turn over the page now to page 92.  I am going
    19        to remind you after that of what the COMA panel said about
    20        this.  You see the paragraph 4/1/3?
    21        A.  Yes.
    22
    23   Q.   Intakes of saturated fatty acids.  I will read the whole of
    24        the paragraph.
    25
    26        Saturated fatty acids and cholesterol are not essential
    27        nutrients and their importance relates directly to their
    28        effects in increasing in blood and cholesterol
    29        concentrations and promoting the development of coronary
    30        heart disease.
    31        A.   Yes.
    32
    33   Q.   About which you and I have no quarrel, as it happens, in
    34        this case, Professor Crawford?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.  As noted previously, no lower limit to serum and cholesterol
    38        has been identified for knowing which beneficial reduction
    39        in coronary heart disease cannot be expected.  So national
    40        nutrition policy should seek to minimise the intake etc. of
    41        fatty acids?
    42        A.  Yes.
    43
    44   Q.   These fatty acids may also be specifically involved in
    45        promoting cancers particularly of the colon and the breast,
    46        although, and I stress the word "promoting" as well the
    47        word "may"?
    48        A.  Yes.
    49
    50   Q.   Although the evidence remains inconsistent.  The main
    51        justification for limiting saturated fatty acid intake
    52        should therefore be the prevention of coronary heart
    53        disease.  Do you agree?
    54        A.   Yes, I agree with that in part, in the sense that I
    55        think I have said consistently that the evidence on
    56        coronary heart disease is very much stronger, but I have
    57        also maintained the view that the evidence on cancer is so
    58        much in step with the evidence on heart disease that the
    59        likelihood of there being a common denominator in the
    60        common cancers of western countries is very high indeed.

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