Higher Carb = Higher CVD
baconslave
Posts: 7,059 Member
This posted on one of my other low-carb boards, and I thought it was interesting in light of the multiple blood lipid questions we've had lately. I haven't read the full paper yet but it is available through the link.
FOOD CONSUMPTION AND THE ACTUAL STATISTICS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF 42 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
http://www.foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/article/view/31694
Thoughts?
FOOD CONSUMPTION AND THE ACTUAL STATISTICS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF 42 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
http://www.foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/article/view/31694
ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of this ecological study was to identify the main nutritional factors related to the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Europe, based on a comparison of international statistics.
Design: The mean consumption of 62 food items from the FAOSTAT database (1993–2008) was compared with the actual statistics of five CVD indicators in 42 European countries. Several other exogenous factors (health expenditure, smoking, body mass index) and the historical stability of results were also examined.
Results: We found exceptionally strong relationships between some of the examined factors, the highest being a correlation between raised cholesterol in men and the combined consumption of animal fat and animal protein (r=0.92, p<0.001). The most significant dietary correlate of low CVD risk was high total fat and animal protein consumption. Additional statistical analyses further highlighted citrus fruits, high-fat dairy (cheese) and tree nuts. Among other non-dietary factors, health expenditure showed by far the highest correlation coefficients. The major correlate of high CVD risk was the proportion of energy from carbohydrates and alcohol, or from potato and cereal carbohydrates. Similar patterns were observed between food consumption and CVD statistics from the period 1980–2000, which shows that these relationships are stable over time. However, we found striking discrepancies in men’s CVD statistics from 1980 and 1990, which can probably explain the origin of the ‘saturated fat hypothesis’ that influenced public health policies in the following decades.
Conclusion: Our results do not support the association between CVDs and saturated fat, which is still contained in official dietary guidelines. Instead, they agree with data accumulated from recent studies that link CVD risk with the high glycaemic index/load of carbohydrate-based diets. In the absence of any scientific evidence connecting saturated fat with CVDs, these findings show that current dietary recommendations regarding CVDs should be seriously reconsidered.
Thoughts?
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Replies
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Interesting. Read the entire paper when you get a chance. But the major takeaway is that higher carbs is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Some of the specifics are odd and intriguing (like the association of onions with greater CVD risk), but they could be due to other factors.
As an anecdote, both of my maternal grandparents, who have been strict vegetarians (maybe even vegans--I haven't eaten at their home in many years) and have not touched alcohol or tobacco in any form for over 50 years, have survived heart attacks in the past year. Anecdotal, for sure, but in line with this research.1 -
It is interesting, in the summary. I'll have to go read, for sure.1
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Thanks for the above posting! Will be an interesting read, I'm sure.1
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There is a lot to chew on there but worth the read.
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