It turned out that data overturning the conventional dogma "low cholesterol with heart disease prevention" had been neglected for over 40 years

ByXporage Blog

Data that may be overlooked for more than 40 years widely announced that data that may be overlooked, which is generally understood, "It is better to have lower cholesterol and lower saturated fatty acid for health" What was not done is clear from the latest survey. This data was gathered in the research conducted in the United States around 1970, but the possibility that it was left in the state of "neglected" halfway because it was a result far away from people's common sense There is a Washington Post paper discussing there.

This study 40 years ago could have reshaped the American diet. But it was never fully published. - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/12/this-study-40-years-ago-could-have-reshaped-the-american-diet-but-it-was-never-fully-published/

According to the paper, this research data was obtained from a research called "Minnesota Coronary Experiment (Minnesota Heart Attack Experiment: MCE)" conducted by the research team of the University of Minnesota from 1968 to 1973, It was discovered when the National Institute of Health (NIH) was investigating the health benefits of linoleic acid. Its content has been widely accepted all over the world so far, the "low cholesterol · low saturated fatty acid food" advocated in the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" announced by the US government is healthy It seems to break down the foundation of the idea of ​​giving a good influence to the people.

The research team at the University of Minnesota who conducted this study examined how diet affects health by dividing thousands of patients living in mental hospitals and facilities into two groups. In one group, a meal using a vegetable oil with a low saturated fatty acid, supposed to suppress blood cholesterol level to prevent heart disease, and a typical group that can be said as the opposite side to the other group It is said that an American style meal was given.

ByMark S

The results showed that, as expected by the research team, the former group given a special diet decreased blood cholesterol levels. On the other hand, however, the research results show that there is no association between a decrease in cholesterol level and cardiac disease, and the research team concludes that "the experiment will be effective for a longer period of time" I say that. In addition, it seems that the young generation also pointed out that "a favorable trend" was found.

The "low saturated fat · vegetable oil oriented" meal style used in this experiment has been recommended by the government's "American dietary guidelines". However, in fact, there is not sufficient verification data as the background, it is said that it is scarce. Rather, the results of the University of Minnesota research have revealed the opposite result to the current trend. As the graph below shows, in a group (Blue) who was given a special meal, perhaps because of that the blood cholesterol level had declined, the other typical American meal was given to the group It is said that the probability of death due to a disease related to the heart is higher than that of the red (red).


The NIH and North Carolina research team, who discovered this data, said the data of 40 years ago was not disclosed, "By publishing incomplete data, its effect is overvalued and at the same time the latent risk It has led to underestimation, "concludes that there is a possibility that important problems in meals may have been misunderstood. Daisy Zamora of the University of North Carolina who led the latest survey said, "If this data had been published 40 years ago, the content of research and advice on meals and hearts has been very different from the present Sho "and point out the magnitude of the impact.

However, on the other hand, it is said that dissent is also given to this announcement. Mr. Walter Willet, who is the top nutritional faculty member of Harvard University, who has received refutation from experts who have been involved in the promotion of low saturated fats in particular, said, "Importantly, this data provided useful new information It is totally incompatible with advice in recent years that emphasizes the shift from saturated fat to unsaturated fat, "he says, and many research findings support the modern flow It shows. In addition, Mr. Willet says "data footprints of an interesting history" about the data of 40 years ago. Mr. Willet also said that since the subjects who participated in this examination were in a short time to leave the facility in many cases and because there were few data of the group who gave a special meal, sufficient results to conclude Has not been obtained since it has not been obtained.

But it is also true that there is no evidence to support the theory that people will become healthier by eliminating saturated fats. The important thing is that its effect will vary greatly depending on what saturated fat is replaced. "This research shows that there is no evidence to strongly support the health effects of vegetable oil people," said Christopher Ramsden, a research fellow at NIH. He emphasized that the conclusion should not be presented based on the results of this announcement, and the research content says that "saturated fat is not as bad as health as it is thought".

ByJarkko Laine

For the reason why this data was not widely publicized, Steven Brosut who used to write a paper using this data in the past as a biostatist and student era, since the computer was still developing at that time, the statistics were fine We pointed out that there was no way to handle it. Mr. Brost also shows that the characteristics of human beings are also involved in this one case. Mr. Blost said, "Everyone thought that cholesterol is bad, this idea is too wide and strongly believed However, the data I came up with did not support that, so here is the question, "Was the theory wrong, or the data was incorrect ...?" I felt It is that they have given up thinking about understanding the results there, "he told the Washington Post.