Re: Health benefits of saturated fats

Alan S wrote:
On Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:42:32 +1200, Quentin Grady
<quentin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Randy,

Since the Swiss Paradox has achieved a lot of attention lately I
spent the morning studying it. Fascinating.

One that would give you much cause for thought is by Dr. Malcolm
Kendrick. He is part of an international network of cholesterol
skeptics so brace yourself. You might not like what you read here.

http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm2.htm

Skip down through articles on other subjects.

He refers to the MONICA study, MONitor trends in CArdiovascular
disease. It contains a graph ... hey I love graphs ... they are so
much more revealing than rhetoric. Rhetoric hides. Graphs reveal.

Well the graph shows Death from CVD vs % population with high
cholesterol levels. The percentage of population with high
cholesterol varies 25-fold from 2% in China to 51% in Switzerland.

The death rate is all over the place. Put simply when one compares
different populations there is no correlation between death rate and
cholesterol levels. None. The Swiss have about 180 deaths, one of the
lower rates despite the greatest number of people with excess
cholesterol. Russia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have over 500
deaths despite having high cholesterol with for 15%, 30% and 38%
respectively. This DOESN'T mean there is no correlation between death
rate and cholesterol levels WITHIN a population. Making this distinction is my point in posting.

Hope you find it as challenging as I did.

When I look at data I ask myself what extrapolation does one have to
be cautious of making here?

Try this for an interesting one. As to whether it is good
science, I'll leave that for others.

Look at the nations in various death rate categories; forget
cholesterol for the moment:

400-600
Lithuania
Russia
Northern Ireland
Czech

300-400
Poland
Denmark

200-300
USA
Canada
Sweden
Australia
Yugoslavia
Iceland
Germany

100-200
Italy
France
Spain
Switzerland
Belgium

0-100
China (I have some doubts about the accuracy of that one)

I see some interesting commonalities of cuisine, climate and
culture in those groupings, especially if you exclude
nations like USA, China and Australia which cover enormous
climatic differences.

For example, the majority of the high rates are nations with
a cool or even cold climate, generally starchy cuisine and
tending more to spirits and beers than wines.

The majority of the lower rates are in Mediterranean or
littoral climates, tending to wines rather than spirits and
beers and less starchy cuisines.

Of course, exceptions occur including the Swiss again, but I
wonder if others see the same common factors that I do.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
--
d&e, metformin 2000 mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com (Test, Test, Test)
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (To Delhi)


Maybe it's simply about how much stress is caused by the weather? ;-)

Best regards,
Michelle C.
.

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