Health advice questionable
TOM Turk seems to be flying in the face of accepted facts (South China Morning Post, February 16) by asserting that there is no negative link between high blood cholesterol and cardiovascular deaths.
I am not an expert myself, and although I have read a reasonable amount on diet and health, I do not feel qualified to quote from scientific studies. On the other hand I remain totally unconvinced by the spurious sources from which Mr Turk seeks to provewhat he believes, and would question the basis on which these ''studies'' were carried out.
Quite apart from this, the majority of people on a varied diet receive an adequate intake of vitamins C and E, and there is no benefit to be gained by supplementing the diet with potentially harmful inorganic substitutes. I recommend he eat more fresh fruit and vegetables to compensate for his truly dreadful diet.
Although not too long ago I became a vegetarian and discovered freedom from chronic illness and a previously unknown sense of health and wellbeing, and would willingly urge anybody, especially those who are sick, to do the same, I would not presume to foist my beliefs on others.
If Mr Turk, as a promoter of the healthy lifestyle, wishes to eat his 10 eggs a day and fatty sirloin steaks (although I hope for his body's sake there is more than a touch of hyperbole here), then let him do so in private. The people of Hongkong, and especially our Governor, as he recovers from his heart surgery, have no need of such questionable gratuitous advice.
MARTIN SPERRING Happy Valley
