There’s no
question that eating certain foods can help lower cholesterol—oats, nuts and
fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are particularly effective. And previous
research suggests that plant sterols—those plant compounds added to foods like
margarine, orange juice and yogurt drinks—can also help lower cholesterol
levels. Two new studies offer important information on how small changes to your
diet and eating habits can help significantly lower cholesterol
levels.
A Daily “Drip”
of Plant Sterols
Many people have
turned to foods fortified with plant sterols in an effort to lower cholesterol.
It appears, however, that getting the most benefit from these foods isn’t as
simple as gulping a fortified glass of orange juice in the morning or slathering
your toast with margarine. Rather, a small study suggest that consuming plant
sterols throughout the day—what researchers term a daily “drip”—may help lower
cholesterol as much as 6 percent in as little as six days.
Researchers at
Tufts University in Boston, Mass., recruited 29 volunteers to determine the
effects of consuming plant sterols throughout the day over a six-day period.
During the control phase, all participants consumed a weight-maintaining diet
free of plant sterols. For the second phase, participants were placed on the
same diet, but with the addition of 1.8 grams of plant sterols at breakfast.
During the third phase, the volunteers once again consumed the same diet, but
ate 1.8 grams of plant sterols divided equally between the three main meals each
day. For two weeks between each phase, participants consumed their normal
diets.
Measurements of
LDL-cholesterol levels were taken at the beginning and end of each phase, with
the greatest reduction—6 percent—occurring following the third phase when plant
sterols were consumed throughout the day. The full results were published
An Apple a
Day…
It may be an old
adage, but the theory about eating an apple every day to keep the doctor away
received some scientific backing from researchers at the University of Florida.
They recruited 160 women, ages 45 to 65, to eat dried apples or prunes (about
240 calories worth) every day for a year. Researchers measured the subjects’
cholesterol levels at three-, six- and 12-month intervals. After six months, the
women who ate the dried apples showed a 23 percent drop in LDL-cholesterol
levels and a 4 percent increase in HDL levels. And, despite the added calories,
the women lost, on average, 3.3 pounds over the course of the study.
“Reducing body
weight is an added benefit to daily apple intake,” said lead researcher Dr.
Bahram Arjmandi. Part of the reason for the weight loss, he explained, could be
the fruit’s pectin, which is known to have a satiety effect. The next step in
confirming the results of this study, which were presented at in April in Washington, D.C., is a
multi-investigator nationwide study.
High cholesterol
is currently the most prevalent health condition in the United States, with an
estimated 101 million Americans having a total cholesterol level greater than
200 mg/dl. Though not considered a disease itself, high cholesterol is
associated with numerous diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes
and stroke.
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