More Dangers of Low Fat Diets
Unprocessed natural fats and oils should be part of a healthy diet. As a basic necessary food, fats provide nutrients which, when not present in the diet, can create deficiencies and ill health.
In addition to studies quoted in our newsletters, another interesting one (Am. Journal Dis. Child. 143, 59: 537-542, 1989) reveals that a low fat diet can cause growth failure in children. The children, originally diagnosed as having a genetic form of high cholesterol, were on a very low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. The result was dwarfing in some and insufficient weight gain and lack of normal growth in other children. As a result of this type of diet, inadequacies in energy, vitamin and mineral intake were found. The authors state that a modified fat and cholesterol intake, carefully monitored, would be therapeutic and also ensure proper nutrition for developing children.
This is not the first time studies have revealed that children are being adversely affected by low fat intakes. New York based studies have shown that children deprived of enough fats have their immunity impaired. Research shows that, in the elderly, low cholesterol levels in the blood are related to the inability to perform daily functions. And, as has been pointed out in past years, as cholesterol levels lower, mortality rate from other diseases, especially stroke, increases.
With more general awareness of existing scientific knowledge, it can only be hoped that the misconceptions promoted by the popular press and Madison Avenue can be ignored by a more educated population.