Fat isn't all that bad: Reduction no predecessor of reduced disease

The general notion that a low fat diet is a disease buster might be now challenged.

A University of Chicago study on women eating less fat and more fruits, vegetables and grains had no reduced risk of two types of cancer or heart disease. Still they were healthier than others.

The drawback of the study as perceived by some experts is that it might be wrongly understood and people might eat more of unhealthy food than the healthy foods.

As said by Dr. Jeanette Keith of the University of Chicago,'I encourage people to interpret this with caution because we have many unanswered questions.'

Other outside experts described the large, multimillion-dollar, government-funded study as the most definitive to date, upending widely held beliefs that people can avoid disease by eating healthier foods.

'This large randomized clinical trial provides the most definitive evidence to date of the impact of a low-fat diet,' said Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society.

In the words of study author Shirley Beresford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, 'It is important to remember that cancers often take decades to develop, and we may only be seeing the early stages of the impact of a low-fat diet intervention on the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases,'.

This study could be also taken in a positive manner and not misunderstood. It might do well for the general health of the people as well.

The study sample consisted of 49,000 women participants and 20,000 were aged 50 to 79, were instructed to reduce dietary fat and to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and six or more servings of grains. This was the dietary regime they were to follow and further studied were done thereafter.

In addition, if the women cut out fatty dairy products they may have reduced their intake of calcium and Vitamin D, both nutrients known to reduce colon cancer risk. The impact of a better diet on indicators for heart disease was mixed, with only slightly lower levels of so-called bad cholesterol but similar levels of good cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin in both groups of women.

According to expert's diet is just one facet and its control is not the only answer to disease management. A holistic approach is what is needed.