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Diet Lowers Cholesterol as Well as Statins

In February, 2005 a study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition supporting that a diet rich in fiber and vegetables lowered cholesterol levels just as much as taking a statin drug. This study is especially important for people looking for a natural, safe method of controlling their cholesterol or for those who cannot tolerate the statin drugs because of side-effects.

David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto and colleagues created what they called a diet "portfolio". The portfolio was rich in soy milk, soy burgers, almonds, oats, barley, psyllium seeds, okra and eggplant. The Almond Board of California helped fund the study, as did several food makers and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

They also included a plant sterol margarine product. Several of these have been proven to lower cholesterol. Plant sterols are plant-based compounds found in cholesterol-lowering margarines and salad dressing.

The diet was tested on 34 volunteers and compared it with a low-fat diet and with a normal diet with statin drugs.

It was found that the low-fat diet lowered LDL by 8.5 percent after a month. LDL is low-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol). Statins lowered LDL by 33 percent and the "portfolio" diet lowered LDL by nearly 30 percent.

The researchers said nine volunteers got their lowest LDL levels from being on the portfolio diet.

Each volunteer followed each diet for a month. They then took a break in between each diet. The volunteers all felt full on the diets although the "portfolio" diet resulted in more bowel movements, the researchers said.

The moral of the story? Eat a diet high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fiber as well as plant sterols.

Non-genetically modified soy protein!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.