Doc Alan
7th March 2014, 20:54
There has been more than usual advice from health “ experts “ about diet in recent weeks, some of it conflicting. If only the link between diet and disease was as clear cut as that for smoking :doh.
What we do know for certain is that cardiovascular diseases ( especially heart attacks and strokes ) and cancers are leading causes of deaths worldwide. In the UK – where 9/10 diseases are non-communicable ( not infectious ) - they each account for over a quarter of deaths. Cancers of breast, lung, bowel and prostate are the commonest for the UK. Cardiovascular diseases are the most frequent killers in the Philippines, where 3/5 diseases are now non-communicable ; followed by cancers ; including liver in addition to those listed for the UK.
The risk of cancer ( remembering there are at least 200 types ) could be reduced in possibly 2/5 cases by not smoking ; keeping active with a healthy body weight ; eating a “ balanced “ diet ; and avoiding excess alcohol. Immunizing against hepatitis B would prevent most liver cancers ; and against human papilloma virus, most cervical cancers.
Much of the recent publicity, however, has been especially about reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“ NICE “ ( National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ) has put out draft guidelines for use of statins ( the drugs which lower cholesterol ) (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02February/Pages/NICE-publishes-new-draft-guidelines-on-statins-use.aspx ).
At present the guidance is to prescribe statins for those with a 20% ( + ) risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. They suggest reducing this to 10%. But statins have side-effects, and not everyone agrees with “ mass medication “ for people who haven’t already had a heart attack or stroke.
NICE bases its guidance on a “ risk calculator “ ( QRISK , see http://qrisk.org/ ), developed for UK use - but which can be used elsewhere in the world.
Benefits of a low-fat diet, replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates or polyunsaturated fats, have recently been questioned (http://openheart.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000032.full ) - only to be defended by several other “ experts “.
It has also recently been suggested that a high protein diet may be “ as bad for health as smoking “ (http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(14)00062-X ). Previous studies had shown a link between red meat and cancer, but this may be the first published claim that protein ( especially animal ) might be harmful.
Now the World Health Organization has opened a public consultation, proposing that sugars should be less than 5% of total energy intake per day (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/ ).
At the same time, England’s Chief Medical Officer has suggested that some form of sugar tax may be necessary (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26442420 ). The problem is that a levy on consumption always hits the poorest hardest.
Sainsbury’s supermarket recently announced that it would join the Co-op and Waitrose, by including calories on the labels for “ own-brand “ wines. Other wine producers are also considering listing of calorie contents. “ Residual sugar “ in wine usually makes it taste richer, fruitier, and more palatable ( to some ). Indeed, a large glass of Shiraz may have as many calories as a packet of crisps ! Other alcoholic drinks have significant calorie contents, perhaps ignored by those who otherwise watch their diet.
It does seem that risk factors in diet need to be taken with a “ pinch of salt “ ! Moderation in all things is my advice for a happy and healthy long life :xxgrinning--00xx3:.
What we do know for certain is that cardiovascular diseases ( especially heart attacks and strokes ) and cancers are leading causes of deaths worldwide. In the UK – where 9/10 diseases are non-communicable ( not infectious ) - they each account for over a quarter of deaths. Cancers of breast, lung, bowel and prostate are the commonest for the UK. Cardiovascular diseases are the most frequent killers in the Philippines, where 3/5 diseases are now non-communicable ; followed by cancers ; including liver in addition to those listed for the UK.
The risk of cancer ( remembering there are at least 200 types ) could be reduced in possibly 2/5 cases by not smoking ; keeping active with a healthy body weight ; eating a “ balanced “ diet ; and avoiding excess alcohol. Immunizing against hepatitis B would prevent most liver cancers ; and against human papilloma virus, most cervical cancers.
Much of the recent publicity, however, has been especially about reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“ NICE “ ( National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ) has put out draft guidelines for use of statins ( the drugs which lower cholesterol ) (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02February/Pages/NICE-publishes-new-draft-guidelines-on-statins-use.aspx ).
At present the guidance is to prescribe statins for those with a 20% ( + ) risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. They suggest reducing this to 10%. But statins have side-effects, and not everyone agrees with “ mass medication “ for people who haven’t already had a heart attack or stroke.
NICE bases its guidance on a “ risk calculator “ ( QRISK , see http://qrisk.org/ ), developed for UK use - but which can be used elsewhere in the world.
Benefits of a low-fat diet, replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates or polyunsaturated fats, have recently been questioned (http://openheart.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000032.full ) - only to be defended by several other “ experts “.
It has also recently been suggested that a high protein diet may be “ as bad for health as smoking “ (http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(14)00062-X ). Previous studies had shown a link between red meat and cancer, but this may be the first published claim that protein ( especially animal ) might be harmful.
Now the World Health Organization has opened a public consultation, proposing that sugars should be less than 5% of total energy intake per day (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/ ).
At the same time, England’s Chief Medical Officer has suggested that some form of sugar tax may be necessary (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26442420 ). The problem is that a levy on consumption always hits the poorest hardest.
Sainsbury’s supermarket recently announced that it would join the Co-op and Waitrose, by including calories on the labels for “ own-brand “ wines. Other wine producers are also considering listing of calorie contents. “ Residual sugar “ in wine usually makes it taste richer, fruitier, and more palatable ( to some ). Indeed, a large glass of Shiraz may have as many calories as a packet of crisps ! Other alcoholic drinks have significant calorie contents, perhaps ignored by those who otherwise watch their diet.
It does seem that risk factors in diet need to be taken with a “ pinch of salt “ ! Moderation in all things is my advice for a happy and healthy long life :xxgrinning--00xx3:.