Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 23


     
     1        1994 that "poor diet can contribute to coronary heart
     2        disease, cancer", and so on.  Day 30, page 63.
     3
     4        Professor Crawford -- who, as you may remember, was a
     5        consultant to the World Health Organisation, and an expert
     6        on dietary fats and disease -- in his examination-in-chief
     7        went through the history of linking diet to cancer, and he
     8        started with Doll in the '50s.  So the history of the links
     9        go back a long way.  In the '80s, Carroll published
    10        epidemiological graphs which showed that the same countries
    11        that had a high incidence of breast and colon cancer also
    12        had high mortalities from heart disease.  Day 31, page 67.
    13        The mortality from heart disease was closely associated
    14        with the amount of saturated fat eaten and, essentially,
    15        the same kind of evidence appeared for cancer.  That was
    16        day 31, page 8.  Professor Crawford agreed that it was a
    17        reasonable conclusion on the epidemiological evidence to
    18        say that the increase in heart disease and cancer is due to
    19        the consumption of a diet which we are not physiologically
    20        adapted to as it is much higher in fat and saturated fat.
    21        Professor Crawford -----
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is that the same -----
    24
    25   MS. STEEL:   Sorry, day 31, page 12.
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Thank you.
    28
    29   MS. STEEL:   Professor Crawford disagreed that there was no
    30        compelling evidence that cancer was either caused or
    31        promoted by aspects of the diet.  He argued that the
    32        epidemiological evidence demonstrated parallels with heart
    33        disease.  That was day 31, page 19.
    34
    35        In response to criticism as to the reliability of
    36        epidemiological evidence, Professor Crawford stated that he
    37        felt confident that the reported statistics were reflective
    38        and the evidence had been consistent for a number of
    39        years.  That was day 31, pages 20 to 22.
    40
    41        He said that strong experimental evidence has led several
    42        authors to conclude that in experimental situations high
    43        fat diets will promote cancer and heart disease and diets
    44        rich in N3 fatty acids will protect against it.  That was
    45        day 31, page 27.
    46
    47        He referred to the conference held by the Swedish Medical
    48        Society in Stockholm in 1986, which was an international
    49        conference, and there was a consensus there that
    50        recommendations prudent for prevention of heart disease and
    51        cancer would be similar.  He supported the strength of the
    52        evidence in the Scottish report as it is unbiased.  That
    53        was day 31, page 28.
    54
    55        At the NATO conference or at a NATO conference in 1986 it
    56        was recommended that it is undesirable for countries to
    57        transfer their principles of food technology and
    58        agriculture to other countries in which cardiovascular
    59        disease, breast or colon cancer are not at this time a
    60        problem.  That was day 31, page 31.  Obviously that is what

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