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I was surprised to read reports about the recent study sponsored by the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) showing that a low-fat diet did not help protect women against colon cancer, breast cancer, heart attack and stroke. In fact, I thought that I was reading the headlines incorrectly in my pre-caffeine morning haze.
Unfortunately, my eyes did not deceive me. The $415 million, eight-year study of almost 50,000 postmenopausal women states that diet just didn't matter. It is tough news to swallow and conflicts with advice we've received for years.
Paper Palate discusses the findings and hypothesizes that the news is "sweeping the major newspapers of the world today, mostly because the results go against conventional nutritional wisdom" and gives us some thought-provoking quotes by experts as they appeared in leading newspapers. The author of this post also points out that "no mention of the women's exercise or activity level is made in the study," nor "of trans-fatty acids," leading to some of her concerns.
So what advice are we supposed to follow?
The blog of the Women's Bioethics Project asks, "Does this mean I can eat deep-fried ice cream with hot fudge?" Check it out for the answer.
Or perhaps this is just a passing fad? Vista on Current Events wonders if this study is just disproving yet another dietary myth and she will be following the advice of her father: "Enjoy life and do all things in moderation."
On the other hand, Scattered Thoughts cautions readers, "Before you go on a steady diet of McDonald's fries and lard," take a close look at how the study was executed. She questions the time period, the previous dietary habits of the participants ("Bacon and peanut butter sandwiches deep fat fried in coconut oil or watercress on iceberg leaves?") and exercise/lifestyle.
An insightful post by Molly Go Lightly points out that in light of the scientific nature of this long-term study, we need to remember that studies are usually not "absolute truth."
The report was published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the complete findings can be found here on the WHI site.
photo credit: PCRM Online
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mipmup.
Contributing Editor, Health & Wellness
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