Last year, I compared the Swedish government’s new recommendation of a diet low or moderate in carbohydrates and high in fat to the longstanding American government’s recommendation of a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet to argue that governments shouldn’t be making these kinds of recommendations in the first place. A recent study highlights that argument. Compared to subjects on a low-fat diet, subjects on a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts had better heart health. Furthermore, women in the nuts-supplemented Mediterranean group were 40% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women on a low-fat diet. (However, given the small sample size for this group, these results weren’t considered statistically significant.) Women in the olive oil group were over 60% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those in the low-fat group. It’s a tragic and chilling thought that individuals who subscribed to the dietary recommendations of the American government for many years may have put themselves at greater risk for serious illness and premature death.
