Middle-aged men get to break out the butter
TIME magazine declared it was OK to eat butter again after new research at the University of Cambridge appeared to back the Banting diet principles — but dieticians and the scientific community are still sceptical.
The Cambridge study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this year and led by researcher Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, reviewed data from 72 existing studies involving more than 600 000 people from 18 countries. It concluded that there was no link between heart disease and saturated fats.
However, new research released by the University of Stellenbosch last week and published in scientific journal PLOS ONE found that those on a typical Banting diet lost no more weight than those following a “recommended” and balanced weight-loss diet.
The study found that the weight loss that occurred was as a result of a lower calorie intake, rather than because of reduced carbohydrate intake.
Johannesburg-based cardiologist Dr David Jankelow said although there was no doubt that the Noakes diet worked for weight loss, he believed it was still too early to gauge its longterm effects on health.
“If I, as a cardiologist, am confused about diet, then ordinary people are too,” he said.
He is also concerned about patients potentially stopping the use of statins for high cholesterol, saying they are a low-risk drug that has produced measurable results.
Paarl-based dietician Mariza van Zyl agreed “100% with the diet’s focus on reducing refined foods” and said it had a place in helping individuals with severe weight and blood sugar problems.
But she is concerned about how widely the Noakes diet is being adopted because dietary requirements vary depending on one’s genetic makeup.
“There isn’t enough emphasis on sufficient amounts of the various nutrients required to function optimally,” said Van Zyl, adding that many misunderstood the diet and did not emphasise vegetables enough.
Sandton-based dietician Zahn Otto said children required more fat in their diet, but factors, including age, need to be taken into account. “A growing boy or girl of about eight will need more fat in their diet than say, for example, a 17-year-old girl,” she said.
If I, as a cardiologist, am confused about diet, ordinary people are too
The Association of Dietetics of South Africa said it promoted a balanced diet and was “neutral” on Banting “until such time [as] we have clarity”.
Dr Glen Hagemann, a sports medicine specialist at the Sharks Medical Centre in Durban, advocates the Noakes diet for “certain patients”, among them middle-aged men with insulin resistance.
“This diet is made for them. With women, there are more mixed results, which has to do with the differences in a woman’s metabolism.
“It’s not black and white yet, but this has prompted a lot of new research. Over the last 50 years, there has been little criticism of the conventional advice and no progress in new research,” he said.