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Introduction
In 1959 a landmark clinical trial, often referred to as the LA Veterans Study, began with the aim to investigate the effects of replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, on the progression of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular outcomes.
This was an eight-year clinical trial in 846 domiciled male veterans in the US. The diets between the control and experimental groups differed by saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat (particularly linoleic acid) content, but were similar in calories and total dietary fat.
The findings of the study suggested that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat was beneficial for reducing heart disease risk. However, the study also reported an unexpected increase in non-cardiac mortality in the intervention group, which raised concerns.
In this episode, we discuss why the LA Veterans Study was such a seminal trial and what we can learn from it.
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- Cited studies:
- Related Episodes:
- [01:37]Common claims and narratives
- [03:15]Historical context of dietary guidelines
- [21:57]Sugar industry influence on dietary research
- Glucose Peaks
- Some Pragmatic Considerations
The Hosts
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Dr. Alan Flanagan has a PhD in nutrition from the University of Surrey, where his doctoral research focused on circadian rhythms, feeding, and chrononutrition.
This work was based on human intervention trials. He also has a Masters in Nutritional Medicine from the same institution.
Dr. Flanagan is a regular co-host of Sigma Nutrition Radio. He also produces written content for Sigma Nutrition, as part of his role as Research Communication Officer.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
| Useful Terminology for this Episode |
| ● Linoleic acid: Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is considered essential because the human body cannot synthesize it on its own, so it must be obtained from dietary sources. Linoleic acid is commonly found in various plant-based oils, such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and others. It is also present in nuts, seeds, and certain grains.
● Carcinoma: A carcinoma is a type of cancer that originates in epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the surfaces of various tissues and organs in the body. Carcinomas are the most common type of cancer, accounting for the majority of cancer cases. ● Tissue biomarker: “A nutritional biomarker can be any biological specimen that is an indicator of nutritional status with respect to intake or metabolism of dietary constituents” – Potischman & Freudenheim, 2003. One type of biomarker category is the estimate of fatty acids in adipose tissue. In this episode, we discuss the use of linoleic acid content of adipose tissue, which serves as a good marker for linoleic acid intake. ● Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a condition characterized by the buildup of plaque, a fatty deposit, and other substances on the inner walls of arteries. |
Introduction to this Episode
In 1959 a landmark clinical trial, o en referred to as the LA Veterans Study, began with the aim to investigate the effects of replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, on the progression of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular outcomes.
This was an eight-year clinical trial in 846 domiciled male veterans in the US. The diets between the control and experimental groups differed by saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat (particularly linoleic acid) content, but were similar in calories and total dietary fat.
The findings of the study suggested that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat was beneficial for reducing heart disease risk.
However, the study also reported an unexpected increase in non-cardiac mortality in the intervention group, which raised concerns.
In this episode, we discuss why the LA Veterans Study was such a seminal trial and what we can learn from it.
