Eating nuts, soybeans or oatmeal is better for lowering bad cholesterol than reducing the amount of fat in your food, according to the latest research at the University of Toronto (UofT).
A detailed description of the research conducted in four major Canadian cities, including Toronto, appeared last Wednesday in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It shows that dietary changes reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) levels as much as drugs in the short term, the Canadian media noted.
The study described on the UofT website shows that the combination of the right ingredients in the diet reduced the level of LDL by 13% within six months, and in people who were simply served a low-fat diet – the level of LDL decreased by only 3%. One in four Americans are taking cholesterol-lowering medications after the age of 45, the National Post pointed out.
Doctors tested 3 control groups of 351 people in total, on a vegetarian six-month diet. In two groups, ingredients such as soy and its products (tofu, soy milk), various beans, oats and barley (they contain the so-called sticky fiber), various nuts and margarines containing plant sterols were added to the diet of the respondents. According to the UofT on its website, the dietary wallet consisted only of marketed food.
It was also checked whether it was useful to talk to a dietitian. It turned out that such two longer conversations are enough to compose everyday meals well.
The study showed the potential of using combinations of food products believed to lower cholesterol. We believe this approach has clinical application, wrote the authors of the study.
Canadian media note that the study was also financed by a supermarket chain or food companies, but they had no influence on the conduct of the study.
From Toronto Anna Lach(PAP)
- You will find all kinds of nuts in Choco Lyo – fruits, nuts & chocolate – a mixture of freeze-dried fruit and nuts in chocolate.