Published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a breakthrough study comparing the results of a one-month treatment with a standard low-saturated fat diet, the same diet plus a cholesterol reducing medication, and a custom “portfolio diet,” came up with some interesting results. The study showed that the portfolio diet was almost as effective in lowering blood LDL cholesterol levels as the traditional diet and medication regimen.
This study took the same group of participants and randomly rotated them through three month long protocols. This enabled researchers to see the effects of the different treatments in the same subjects and make direct comparisons between the results of each of the three treatments.
The results were impressive for the portfolio diet. Researchers who have been seeking something between medication and the moderate effectiveness of a low-saturated fat diet now have clinical results leading the way towards a new dietary approach. Cholesterol lowering medications have side effects not found in a dietary approach and many in the health profession prefer a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle changes over medication.
The portfolio diet differs from the often-recommended high-fiber, low-saturated fat diets in several ways. Certain foods have been termed “functional foods” as they have proven results in lowering blood cholesterol levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The portfolio diet consisted of foods high in viscous fiber, soy protein, plant sterols, and nuts. Each of these foods has been shown to lower blood cholesterol by four to seven percent and when used together, appear to have a synergistic effect in lowering LDL, or bad cholesterol.
Viscous fiber is a soluble fiber, one that dissolves in water, and has a sticky consistency. Found in oats, barley, okra, eggplant, and beans, this fiber binds cholesterol in the digestive tract, stopping it from being absorbed. The diet in the study emphasized foods with high viscous fiber content.
Replacing animal protein with soy protein is another effective way to lower cholesterol. The participants in the study ate a diet rich in soy products, from tofu to soy hot dogs. The exact method by which soy proteins lower cholesterol are not fully understood.
Plant sterols were added to the margarine used by the study participants. Found naturally in brown rice, oat bran, almonds and other nuts, legumes, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, sterols are added to orange juice, margarine, and other fortified products.
The fourth component of the portfolio diet was almonds. Although this diet emphasized almonds, other nuts including walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts have also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol.
While many physicians recommend medications to lower cholesterol, this study and other recent research is attempting to discover more functional food that are effective in reducing heart disease risk by lowering serum cholesterol. A safer approach with virtually no side effects, using diet to improve heart health may be a healthier option. It takes commitment though to stick with a healthy heart diet!
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
Skype: Monique371
