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Increasing fat intake reduces deaths in Swedish study
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Leosdottir M, Nilsson PM, Nilsson J-A,
Mansson H, Berglund G (Lund University, Malmo,
Sweden). Dietary fat intake and early mortality
patterns — data from The Malmo Diet and Cancer
Study. J Intern Med 2005; 258: 153-165.
Abstract.
Objectives. Most current dietary guidelines
encourage limiting relative fat intake to <30% of
total daily energy, with saturated and trans fatty acids
contributing no more than 10%. We examined
whether total fat intake, saturated fat, monounsaturated,
or polyunsaturated fat intake are
independent risk factors for prospective all-cause,
cardiovascular and cancer mortality.
Design. Population-based, prospective cohort study.
Setting and subjects. The Malmo Diet and Cancer
Study was set in the city of Malmo, southern
Sweden. A total of 28 098 middle-aged individuals
participated in the study 1991-1996.
Main outcome measures. Subjects were categorized
by quartiles of relative fat intake, with the first
quartile used as a reference point in estimating
multivariate relative risks (RR; 95% CI, Cox's
regression model). Adjustments were made
for confounding by age and various lifestyle
factors.
Results. Women in the fourth quartile of total fat
intake had a significantly higher RR of cancer
mortality (RR 1.46; CI 1.04-2.04).[but see below] A significant
downwards trend was observed for cardiovascular
mortality amongst men from the first to the fourth
quartile (P = 0.028). No deteriorating effects of
high saturated fat intake were observed for either
sex for any cause of death. Beneficial effects of a
relatively high intake of unsaturated fats were not
uniform.
Conclusions. With the exception of cancer mortality
for women, individuals receiving more than 30% of
their total daily energy from fat and more than 10%
from saturated fat, did not have increased mortality.
Current dietary guidelines concerning fat intake are
thus generally not supported by our observational
results.
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COMMENT: In this study, deaths from heart disease, cancer and total deaths in both sexes went down as fat intake rose. This was particularly noticeable with saturated fats.
The one glitch was that cancers increased in women (not men) with the highest intake of fat — but significantly, this was confined entirely to intakes of monounsaturated fats (from 'healthy' oils such as olive oil and flaxseed oil).
Strangely, monounsaturated fats had the opposite effect in men by reducing the overall death rate.
The effects on heart disease are also interesting: In men, increasing total fat and saturated fat reduced their death rates; in women increasing or reducing fats didn't make any difference.
The researchers write:
"With the exception of cancer mortality for women in
the highest quartile of relative fat intake, individuals
receiving more than 30% of their total daily energy
from fat did not have increased mortality. Men in the
fourth quartile of total fat intake, receiving almost
50% of their total energy intake from fat, had the
lowest cardiovascular mortality. Receiving more
than 10% of total energy intake from saturated fat
did not have a significant effect on all-cause,
cardiovascular or cancer mortality for men or
women. Beneficial effects of relatively high intakes
of unsaturated fats were not uniform, and having a
high index of unsaturated fat compared with saturated
fat intake did not have any detectable effect on
mortality."
"With our results added to the pool of
evidence from large-scale prospective cohort studies
on dietary fat, disease and mortality, traditional
dietary guidelines concerning fat intake are thus
generally not strongly supported."
Which is effectively what I have been saying for years!
Last updated 25 July 2005
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