Eating a diet in fat and protein based plant foods will lower your bad cholesterol more than a conventionally based low saturated fat diet.
August 24, 2011- A recent study says a diet in plant-based protein and fat will lower cholesterol more than a diet that is low in saturated fat. Participants in the randomized trial either ate diets low in saturated fats or added to their consumption plant based food such as soy, nuts, barley and oats and margarine spreads.
The LDL, low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol that is associated with heart disease decreased by over 13% in the group that added plant based foods to their diets compared to the group that maintained a diet low in saturated fat.
Over 350 adults who had tested positive for high cholesterol participated in the study for six months. They were instructed to have either a diet based on low fat, low dairy, vegetables and fruits, and whole grain cereals or a vegetarian diet.
Both groups reduced saturated fats and increased fiber intake. Those that had diets of mostly plant-based foods lowered their LDL significantly compared to the others. The benefit in the lowering of LDL may be much better for those with poor diets.
It is not always easy for many to switch from a hamburger to a veggie burger or dairy milk to soy milk, but increasing the intake of certain types of food, like plant-based foods, may lower the LDL count significantly.
