Adding vegetables to diet may lower cholesterol

The question: Many people turn to powerful drugs called statins to lower their cholesterol levels after fat-reducing diets produce only modest results. Might such diets be more successful if they contained more foods derived from plants?

This study randomly assigned 120 adults with moderately high cholesterol to follow either a typical low-fat diet or one that included more vegetables, legumes and whole grains. The diets contained identical amounts of fats, protein, carbohydrates and cholesterol. Meals, snacks and beverages were provided, and calories were adjusted so participants’ weight would not change. After four weeks, total cholesterol had dropped about 18 points for people who ate more foods from plants, compared with a nine-point drop for those on the conventional low-fat diet. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol fell at a similar rate.

Who may be affected by these findings? Anyone with higher-than-desired cholesterol readings. Lowering total and LDL levels can reduce the chances of having a heart attack or heart disease.

Caveats: HDL levels dropped slightly in both groups; whether a drop in this so-called good cholesterol would be detrimental remains unclear. The long-term effect of such diets was not tested.

Bottom line: People who need to lower their cholesterol may want to talk with a doctor about incorporating more vegetables, whole grains and beans into their diet.

Find this study in the May 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine; abstract available online at www.annals.org.

Learn more about cholesterol at www.americanheart.org and www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health.