dieting may increase mortality in humans

Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Mon, 07 Jun 1999 15:56:42 -0700 (PDT)

In lowcarb@maelstrom.stjohns.edu Alex Haas wrote:
> > weight loss. Weight loss in 1963-1968 coincided with an increased incidence
> > of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus and a declining level of
>
> If I had to guess from the above, it sounds like low fat dieting to me.
>
A study was done on 7'th Day Adventists, which found the main determinants of mortality in these semi-vegetarians was meat consumption, and nut consumption. Meat eaters had a higher mortality rate, while nut consumers had a lower mortality. Other studies have found little relation between over-all fat consumption and mortality. However when different types of dietary fats are considered, saturated and hydrogenated fats were found to increase mortality, while monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated lowered it. Some studies have found omega-3 polys to be particularly beneficial. Salad eaters enjoyed a lower mortality rate in one study, which was found to be dependant on the amount of omega-3 containing salad dressing consumed, and not as one would think the amount of vegetables ingested.
Whether dieting is healthy would seem to be entirely dependant on how it is implimented. Giving up heart healthy fat (and arginine) rich nuts would appear to be a particularly bad dietary strategy.