Day 035 - 12 Oct 94 - Page 12
1 Cancer Society (1990) and the National Cancer Institute
2 recommend that it is prudent to reduce fat intake,
3 increase fibre, eat more fruits and vegetables, avoid
4 obesity, drink alcohol only in moderation, and minimize
5 consumption of salted or smoked foods. Nutrients
6 recommended for increase include folate, vitamins C and E,
7 beta-carotene, retinoids, carotenoids, and calcium. When
8 high levels of specific nutrients, such as beta-carotene,
9 are not practically derived from the diet, supplements can
10 be used."
11
12 Dr. Barnard, I ask you this question: Do you see a
13 difference between what appears in those two paragraphs
14 from what you said on that television programme, namely,
15 that 35 to 50 per cent of cancers are due to diet?
16 A. In these paragraphs the difference that I see is that
17 in these paragraphs an upper limit percentage is not given
18 in this summary. However, in other National Cancer
19 Institute documents upper limits have been provided.
20
21 Q. This is a postulation or, indeed, Dr. Barnard, it is more
22 than that, is it not, or less than that; it is a report of
23 a postulation. What do you understand by the word
24 "postulation"?
25 A. Perhaps a belief.
26
27 Q. A belief and hypothesis?
28 A. Those would be reasonable synonyms.
29
30 Q. It is different, is it not, from an assertion of fact?
31 A. It is a statement of fact. However, what they are
32 saying is that, well, they are stating here as a fact that
33 people believe there is that association as evidence for
34 it, but you are right they are not -- they are not saying
35 there is a clear cut, fully defined cause-and-effect
36 relationship.
37
38 Q. If we look over the page at page 12, sorry, two pages
39 over, we see a column, do we not, headed: "Future
40 Research Opportunities and Barriers to Progress: The Need
41 for Additional Basic Research", and it begins: "Although
42 epidemiological studies are demonstrating that dietary
43 interventions can reduce the incidence and risk of cancer,
44 the scientific basis for this conclusion requires further
45 research."
46
47 Dr. Barnard, if your assertion on the television and,
48 indeed, in your evidence in this court were accurate,
49 there would be no need for any further research, would
50 there?
51 A. No, that is not what I have said. I think there is a
52 great deal of room for additional research in the area of
53 cancer. On the television programme I was clearly not
54 citing this document because this document had not been
55 printed. I was citing other National Cancer Institute
56 documents that do support what I have said. The National
57 Cancer Institute does not publish simply this booklet;
58 they publish a journal called the Journal of the National
59 Cancer Institute, which was repeatedly cited; they also
60 publish a number of booklets; they also have spokespersons
