It is never too early to reduce fat intake

Restricting dietary intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in children under five years of age could reduce age-related increases in serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations, according to researchers in Finland.

Dr Leena Rask-Nissilä and colleagues at the University of Turku carried out a prospective study (Circulation 2000 102:1477-1483) on 1,062 seven-month-old infants who were randomized to either a control group or an intervention group. Parents and carers of infants in the intervention group received tailored dietary counseling aiming at an optimal fat intake of 30-35% mg/d. The team found that children in the intervention group had lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol values than the control children. The mean serum cholesterol values of the intervention boys was 0.39 mmol/L lower than the control boys between 13 and 60 months (p<0.0001). However, among the girls, only a marginally significant difference was seen (0.15 mmol/L, p=0.052). Mean serum...