Pushing Cholesterol-Lowering to the Limit

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PCRM Breaking Medical News 12/4/02

 

Pushing Cholesterol-Lowering to the Limit

 

An article in this month’s edition of the scientific journal Metabolism asks

this question: If a vegan diet, soy protein, viscous fiber (e.g., oat bran),

plant sterols and almonds can all lower serum cholesterol levels independently,

what happens when they are combined into a single diet? Because they seem to

work by different biological mechanisms (soy reduces cholesterol production,

viscous fiber increases bile acid losses, plant sterols increase cholesterol

losses, and almonds contain healthy monounsaturated fats which raise HDL

[“good”] cholesterol), their effects should be additive.

 

David J.A. Jenkins, Cyril W.C. Kendall, and colleagues at Toronto’s St.

Michael’s Hospital put the combination diet to the test. Within one month, they

found a 28% reduction in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and a markedly favorable shift

in the ratio of LDL to HDL. Triglycerides also fell. These results are

similar to those obtainable with cholesterol-lowering medications.

 

Here is the reference:

 

Jenkins DJA, Kendall CWC, Faulkner D, et al. A dietary portfolio approach to

cholesterol reduction: combined effects of plant sterols, vegetable proteins,

and viscous fibers in hypercholesterolemia. Metabolism 2002, volume 51.

 

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