www.lesswrong.com/posts/DHkkL2GxhxoceLzua/thoughts-on-seed-oil
1 correction found
It’s consensus that they cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, though the mechanism of harm often still isn’t understood.
This overstates the scientific consensus. Trans fats are clearly linked to cardiovascular disease, but reviews describe the evidence for diabetes/insulin resistance and weight gain as limited rather than settled consensus.
Full reasoning
The strong consensus on trans fats is about cardiovascular harm, not that they are established causes of obesity and diabetes in the same way.
- WHO’s trans-fat fact sheet focuses on heart attacks, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular deaths. It says high trans-fat intake increases risk of death from any cause and coronary heart disease, but it does not describe obesity or diabetes as established effects.
- A PubMed review on trans fatty acids, insulin resistance and diabetes concludes there is "limited evidence for a weak association at high TFA intakes" and "very little convincing evidence" that habitual intake in a standard Western diet meaningfully contributes to diabetes or insulin resistance risk.
- A separate PubMed review on trans fatty acids and weight gain concludes there is "limited but consistent evidence" that higher intake may result in a small additional weight gain. That is much weaker than saying there is a consensus that trans fats cause obesity.
So the sentence is accurate for heart disease, but it overstates the certainty for obesity and diabetes.
3 sources
- WHO — Trans fat
Among other dietary factors, high intake of trans fat increases the risk of death from any cause by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28%, and coronary heart disease by 21%.
- Trans fatty acids, insulin resistance and diabetes - PubMed
This review ... concludes that there is limited evidence for a weak association at high TFA intakes, but very little convincing evidence that habitual exposure as part of a standard western diet has a significant contribution to risk of diabetes or insulin resistance.
- Trans fatty acids and weight gain - PubMed
It concludes that there is limited but consistent evidence ... that increased TFA consumption may result in a small additional weight gain.