Health
Lowering cholesterol the plant way
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2005
A low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans has twice the cholesterol-lowering power of a conventional low-fat diet, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
The finding, published in the May 3 Annals of Internal Medicine, comes from a comparison of two low-fat diets. One, the conventional diet, focused solely on avoiding harmful saturated fat and cholesterol. The second diet included the same proportions of fat and cholesterol, plus lots of plant-based foods in accordance with American Heart Assn. guidelines.
Both diets lowered total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The conventional diet produced, on average, a 4.6% LDL decrease; the plant-based diet, a 9.4% decrease.
Researchers found no significant differences in changes in triglycerides or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol from either diet.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/hlbf0523.htm.
