Margarine “no medicine"

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33219, 8 May 1973, Page 15

Margarine “no medicine"

A statement by the director of the Dairy Research Institute (Dr W. A. McGillivray) that people who needed margarine instead of butter were “very sick” and could “drop dead of heart problems at any time,” has been described as irresponsible by a Christchurch cardiologist, Dr D. R. Hay

Dr McGillivray, who holds doctorates in science md philosophy, made the statement in connection with the effect of margarine on butter sales. He said that polyunsaturated margarine should be regarded as medicine, not as a food. Dr Hay says in reply: “This Is an irresponsible statement by a non-medical scientist and I am most concerned that it could cause distress and anxiety to patients who for various reasons have been advised by doctors to use' margarine as part of a low fat diet. "Many of these people are

- perfectly healthy, with no sign whatsoever of demonstrable heart disease, and 1 I should hate to think that they might now believe they ‘could drop dead at any time’.” The use of low fat diets might well have its most imiportant indication in those I who were apparently quite | healthy, but who had been 'identified as having significantly elevated blood cholesterol levels, which might (place them at greater risk of (developing heart disease in later life, he said. “HUMBUG” STILL

“When such blood abnormalities are combined with other coronary risk factors.! such as elevated blood pres-!, sure, cigarette smoking, or a bad family history of heart disease, the indications for a low-fat diet are even ; stronger. “I am sure that most doctors and patients do not regard margarine as a medicine 1 and the fact that a doctor’s prescription is still required for its purchase is plain hum- s bug and perhaps an appease-, ment to the Dairy Board.” |'