Go Vegan and Cut Deadly Cholesterol, Say Scientists

July 30, 2003

Go vegan and cut deadly cholesterol, say scientists

By Cahal Milmo

23 July 2003

Never mind expensive drugs or new-fangled margarines, scientists say

they have devised a simple diet that dramatically reduces cholesterol

without any need for medication

Research by Canadian experts has shown a special vegetarian diet is

as effective at reducing levels of the most damaging form of

cholesterol as the new generation of expensive, fat-lowering drugs.

The researchers found the vegan diet cut low-density lipoprotein

cholesterol - the type that clogs arteries - by almost 29 per cent,

compared with the standard anti-cholesterol drug Lovastatin, that

dropped levels by 30.9 per cent. Other attempts to find a

fat-reducing diet achieved only modest cholesterol reductions of

between 4 per cent and 13 per cent.

The Canadian nutritionists based their recipe for cardiac health on

foods such as almonds, soya, high-fibre cereals such as oats and

barley and fresh fruit and vegetables. Now people showing early

warnings of heart disease can improve their health without

medic-ation, the study's authors say.

Professor David Jenkins, who led the project at the University of

Toronto, said patients were being put on cholesterol-reducing drugs

too early. " This study shows people now have a dietary alternative to

control cholesterol, at least initially, " he said. " These foods have

an almost identical effect on lowering cholesterol as the original

cholesterol-lowering drugs. "

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