Does MUFA ***Contribute to*** IHD?

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

If you think consuming plenty of olive, canola or soybean oil will

help protect against heart disease, because the MUFA they contain

explains the 'French Paradox' and the supposed wonders of

the 'Meditteranean Diet', maybe yer need to read this, which suggests

the opposite.

Especially the bit about: " Compared with controls, patients with IHD

had significantly higher daily intakes of vitamin B12 and

MUFA ......... "

" Diet, serum homocysteine levels and ischaemic heart disease in a

Mediterranean population

E. Vrentzos1, A. Papadakis1, Niki Malliaraki2, Evagelos

A. Zacharis3, Elias Mazokopakis1, s Margioris2, Emmanuel S.

Ganotakis1 and Kafatos4

1Departments of Internal Medicine

2Clinical Chemistry and

3Cardiology, University Hospital of Crete, PO Box 1352, Heraklion

71110, Crete, Greece

4Social Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic,

University Hospital of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

(Received 10 October 2003–Revised 24 December 2003–Accepted 17

February 2004)

Homocysteine (Hcy) is recognised as a risk factor for IHD. Serum Hcy

is negatively correlated with serum folate levels, the main sources

of which are fruits, vegetables and legumes. The present case–control

study was designed to examine the relationship between serum Hcy

levels and IHD and to assess the role of dietary factors in the

southern Mediterranean population of Crete, Greece. Serum Hcy,

folate, vitamin B12, creatinine and glucose levels and a full lipid

profile were measured in 152 patients with established IHD, median

age 64 (range 33–77) years, and 152 healthy control subjects, age-

and sex-matched. Dietary data were assessed using a 3 d food intake

record. Compared with controls, patients with IHD had significantly

higher daily intakes of vitamin B12 and MUFA and significantly lower

intakes of carbohydrate, fibre, folate, cholesterol, n-3 fatty acids

and total trans unsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, patients had

significantly higher serum Hcy, vitamin B12 and creatinine levels,

but significantly lower folate. Serum folate concentrations in both

groups had a significant positive correlation with dietary fibre

consumption and a significant inverse correlation with vitamin B12

intake. IHD patients should be encouraged to increase their daily

dietary intake of fibre, folate and n-3 fatty acids, which are

significant components of the traditional Cretan Mediterranean diet.

Where dietary folate intake is inadequate, folate supplements are

recommended to reduce elevated Hcy levels. "

Safflower oil, in modest quantities, looks better all the time.

Rodney.