High fat diets offer protection from heart disease compared to low fat diets

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (1976) 104 (3): 225-247 and a recipe for portobello mushrooms with beef and aubergine.

Study title and authors:
ACCULTURATION AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN JAPANESE-AMERICANS
MICHAEL G. MARMOT and S. LEONARD SYME
School of Public Health, U. of California Berkeley, CA 94720

This study can be accessed at: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/104/3/225.abstract

Books:

Marmot notes that amongst men of Japanese ancestry, occurrence of coronary heart disease is lowest in Japan, intermediate in Hawaii, and highest in California. However this difference of occurrence had not been explained by dietary factors, and may be due to social and cultural differences.

 
To test the hypothesis that social and cultural differences may account for the heart disease differences between Japan and the United States, 3809 Japanese-Americans in California were classified according to the degree to which they retained a traditional Japanese culture.
 
The study found:
(a) Those that adopted Western culture had a three- to five-fold excess in heart disease prevalence.
(b) Those that adhered to the traditional Japanese culture had heart disease prevalence as low as that observed in Japan.
(c) Those that adhered to the traditional Japanese culture and ate higher fat American foods had 49% LESS heart disease than those who adhered to the traditional Japanese culture and ate the lower fat Japanese foods.
(d) Those that adopted the Western culture and ate the higher fat American foods had 34% LESS heart disease than those who adopted the Western culture and ate the lower fat Japanese foods.

To conclude: The study suggests that cultural and social issues may determine the prevalence of heart disease.The study also shows that the higher fat Western diet offers protection from heart disease compared to the low fat Japanese diet.
 
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Recipe of the day

Portobello Mushrooms with Beef and Aubergine

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Ground Beef

225g/8oz ground beef

1 small aubergine, finely diced

8 large Portobello or flat mushrooms

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped tarragon or mint

30ml/2tbsp butter

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to Gas mark 5, 190°C/375°F.

2.Heat a large, shallow, non-stick frying pan until hot and dry fry the mince for 7-10 minutes until brown. Add the aubergines and the reserved chopped mushroom and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season and add the freshly chopped herbs.

3.Meanwhile, place the mushrooms on a flat baking sheet, season, add butter and roast for 3-4 minutes.

4.Spoon the beef filling evenly over the mushrooms.

5.Serve with simply dressed salad leaves and baby cherry tomatoes.

Portobello Mushrooms with Beef and Aubergine