Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 26
1 relied on to draw that conclusion, including case, migrant,
2 cohort and animal studies. Day 33, pages 13 to 16.
3 I think he was just referring to the point that whatever
4 study method was used, the evidence all pointed in the same
5 direction.
6
7 I mean, we have said before that obviously we completely
8 disagree with the studies on animals for ethical -----
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am not concerned with that here, am I?
11
12 MS. STEEL: Well, I think Dr. Barnard did as well, but I think
13 he was just making the point that all the evidence pointed
14 in the same direction.
15
16 Dr. Barnard said that he believed that when all this
17 evidence was put together it was very compelling and showed
18 that there was an association between fat and cancer, and
19 he went further in terms of breast cancer, suggesting that
20 there was evidence of a causative role as opposed to just a
21 link. That was day 33, page 16.
22
23 It is my recollection that he said that the causative role
24 was not just for fat and breast cancer; it was for the
25 other dietary components as well, but I think that was just
26 a particular example of where it was specifically referred
27 to.
28
29 Dr. Barnard confirmed that both fat and fibre play a role
30 in colon cancer. That was day 33, page 21.
31
32 MR. MORRIS: I mean, obviously we would say that Dr. Barnard
33 was completely crystal clear on the causative role of fat
34 and fibre for bowel cancer, I mean, protective role of
35 fibre obviously, and in fact Professor Wheelock accepted
36 that on day 15, page 1. In fact, we say Dr. Arnott
37 accepted the fibre prevention role.
38
39 But going back to Dr. Barnard, he took us through, if you
40 remember, the major documents from the World Health
41 Organisation and the two US books, National Research
42 Council and the National Academy was the other one, and he
43 explained how the terminology in those books, which was
44 state of the art terminology, very carefully worded, was
45 all to be considered to be related to causality i.e., not
46 just initiation but also promotion and development, and
47 that there could be absolutely no doubt that all the
48 authoritative medical opinion was of the view that these
49 relationships were causal. The only questions were the
50 exact components and the exact mechanisms, things like
51 that.
52
53 MS. STEEL: Dr. Barnard continued that cancer authorities in
54 the United States feel that it is long past the time to
55 make recommendations to Americans to increase fibre
56 consumption and reduce fat intake in order to avoid colon
57 cancer. And that was day 33, page 22.
58
59 He referred to the nurses' study which found a clear
60 correlation between diet and colon cancer. I do not know
