February 15, 2005 – A diet high in fiber and soy would lower the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood as effectively as a statin drug.
As part of a comparative study1, a team of Canadian researchers called on 34 people to whom they successively followed three different diets, at the rate of one per month, observing a break of two to six weeks between each. Aged an average of 58 years, all participants were overweight and had high cholesterol at the start of the study.
The researchers first measured the effect of a menu rich in soluble fibers (barley, oats, psyllium) and soy protein (in the form of a drink, burger or tofu) on their bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Next, they compared the results with those obtained from a low-saturated fat diet combined with 20 mg per day of lovastatin, a statin drug commonly prescribed for high cholesterol. As a control treatment, the group followed the same low-fat diet again, but this time without the statins.
Results: When following the diet rich in fiber and soy, participants saw their bad cholesterol (LDL) level decrease by 29.1%, an effect comparable to that of the diet combined with statins (33.3%) . The authors observed an 8.5% decrease in bad cholesterol (LDL) for the control treatment.
In addition to soy and fiber, the diet also included almonds as well as a daily intake of phytosterols, in the form of margarine. Phytosterols interfere with the absorption of cholesterol in the body and are added to various food products in Europe and the United States. The marketing of this type of product is not permitted in Canada.
The director of this study, Dr David Jenkins of the University of Toronto, believes that the effectiveness of the diet he designed with his colleagues could be attributed to the combined action of soluble fiber and its other components. Each of the components of this diet may not be as effective as statins in lowering bad cholesterol, but taken together on a regular basis, they become, according to him, a therapeutic intervention to consider.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
According to The Globe and Mail.
1. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al, Direct comparison of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic participants, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2005, Vol. 81, No. 2, 380-7.