Day 034 - 11 Oct 94 - Page 50
1 that nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, most
2 specifically, were provided in adequate amounts in the
3 diet. However, there are far more diseases in cases of
4 premature mortality in western countries in modern times
5 due to excesses of nutrients rather than due to
6 deficiencies, particularly excess fat, excess saturated
7 fat, in particular, excess cholesterol, and there are
8 others that by their excess contribute to disease and to,
9 as I said, premature mortality. That is not to say that
10 there are not still problems with deficiencies -- there
11 are -- but I agree with the thrust of that paragraph.
12
13 Q. If we go over the page to page (iii), the second
14 paragraph: "Concerning the strength of the link between
15 diet and disease, the experts concluded that repeated and
16 consistent findings of an association between specific
17 dietary factors and a disease suggest that such
18 associations are real and indicative of a cause-and-effect
19 relationship".
20 A. Yes.
21
22 Q. So, are they saying there that when associations are so
23 strong that can lead to a conclusion of cause-and-effect?
24 A. Let me just read that to make sure I
25 carefully understand it. Yes. They do seem to be saying
26 that if one finds associations repeatedly and consistently
27 that that suggests that there is, in fact, a
28 cause-and-effect relationship. I presume they are
29 referring to the results on fat and cancer and fat and
30 heart disease and others.
31
32 Q. If you read the last sentence: "If such trends continue,
33 the end of this century see cardiovascular disease and
34 cancer established as major health problems in virtually
35 every country in the world"?
36 A. Yes. They are speaking of countries that have
37 historically not enjoyed the wealth that is enjoyed in
38 western countries.
39
40 Q. If we look down to the next paragraph, the bottom, they
41 are talking about the recommended dietary intake which the
42 World Health Organisation has put forward. It says: "The
43 zero value given as the lower limit for saturated fatty
44 acids, dietary cholesterol, and free sugars indicates that
45 these dietary components meet no special nutritional need
46 and are thus not required for the prevention of any
47 deficiency disease". What does that mean to you?
48 A. What they are saying is that saturated fat is not
49 needed in the diet. It is not essential. Cholesterol is
50 not required in the diet. Free sugar is not required in
51 the diet -- free sugar as contrasted with complex
52 carbohydrates. I might mention that Walter Willett (whose
53 name has come up a number of times) has said that the
54 optimal amount of cholesterol in the diet is probably
55 zero. A recent conference of distinguished experts
56 in heart disease made exactly the same statement. The
57 only way to get zero cholesterol in the diet is, of
58 course, to eliminate animal products. But what these
59 experts are saying is that an ideal diet, from a health
60 standpoint, would eliminate those products.
