Dietary treatment for elevated LDL cholesterol levels.

David Jenkins and other researchers at the University of Toronto made news when they found that, under carefully controlled conditions, a near-vegan diet was as effective as medication at lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in people at risk for heart disease. The researchers recently tested a similar diet for a 1-year period in free-living subjects. All subjects had high blood cholesterol levels. Study subjects were instructed about a diet that was high in soy protein, almonds, plant sterols, and fiber from foods like oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant, and okra. Subjects were encouraged to eat a vegan diet. If they chose to eat meat of dairy products, they were asked to only use small amounts and to choose foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol. At the end of a year, two out of 55 subjects were following a vegan diet and five were following a lactoovo vegetarian diet. The other subjects ate limited amounts of meat and fish with approximately 5 percent of calories coming from animal protein. Significant reductions were seen in LDL cholesterol levels that, for many participants, were similar to what would be expected with statins (a type of medication that lowers blood lipid levels). HDL (good) cholesterol levels increased slightly, and triglyceride levels decreased. These good results were seen even in subjects who were already eating a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet before the study started. This study suggests that a vegan or near-vegan diet featuring specific cholesterol-lowering foods can be an alternative to medication for some people with high blood cholesterol levels. Of course, this should be discussed with your health care provider before altering medication.

Jenkins DJA, Kendall CWC, Faulkner DA, et al. 2006. Assessment of the longer-term effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia. Am J Clin Nutr 83:582-91.