Thursday, August 25, 2011

Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Trumps Low-Fat Diet


Individuals with high cholesterol who consume a diet high in plant sterols, soy protein, fiber and nuts reduced their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels by 13% over the course of six months compared to individuals who followed a low-saturated fat diet, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto conducted a multi-center trial to compare the two diets at 6-month follow-up. The control diet emphasized high fiber and whole grains, but lacked components of the portfolio diet that emphasized dietary incorporation of plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers and nuts.

The study included 351 participants with hyperlipidemia from four participating academic centers across Canada randomized between June 2007 and February 2009 to one of three treatments. Participants received dietary advice for six months on either the low-saturated fat therapeutic diet (control) or a routine or intensive dietary portfolio, for which counseling was delivered at different frequencies. Routine dietary portfolio involved two clinic visits over six months and intensive dietary portfolio involved seven clinic visits over six months.

They found participants on the cholesterol lowering diet had a 13% reduction in their LDL-C levels, while those who ate a diet low in saturated fats experienced a 3% decrease.

“This study indicated the potential value of using recognized cholesterol-lowering foods in combination. We believe this approach has clinical application. A meaningful 13% LDL-C reduction can be obtained after only two clinic visits of approximately 60- and 40-minute sessions," they said. “The limited 3% LDL-C reduction observed in the conventional diet is likely to reflect the adequacy of the baseline diet and therefore suggests that larger absolute reductions in LDL-C may be observed when the dietary portfolio is prescribed to patients with diets more reflective of the general population."

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