An array of cardiovascular and nutrition scientists from 19 countries signed a letter asking the journal BMJ to retract an article that faulted the scientific rigor that went into recommendations from an advisory committee for updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The government plans to publish a new edition of the guidelines by the end of the year. The letter says the article “as a whole is so riddled with errors, we urge BMJ to retract it.” The letter lists 11 “factual errors, excluding incorrect or biased interpretations of research.” The author of the BMJ article, Nina Teicholz, also wrote the book “The Big Fat Surprise: Why butter, meat and cheese belong in a healthy diet.” The book says low-fat diets are a mistaken approach to healthful eating. The Center for Science in the Public Interest spearheaded the letter.
In a blog on Monday, Teicholz said the advisory committee failed to undertake a systematic review of literature on the question of whether saturated fats cause heart disease and omitted papers showing no harm. “Criticizing me personally is not going to stop that truth,” she wrote.
The website The Verge, which covered the dispute from the beginning, said it asked BMJ about the letter and “BMJ told The Verge that ‘the BMJ is continuing to review this matter and will respond more fully when our further enquiries are complete.’ Teicholz responded to The Verge‘s request for comment by stating that she was working on her own reply to the letter.”