JAMA study finds diet as effective as drugs in lowering cholesterol The July 23 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published the findings of researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital that a plant food diet is as effective as lovastatin in its ability to lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Lovastatin is a drug commonly prescribed to individuals with high cholesterol, which sometimes causes unwanted side effects. High cholesterol levels have been linked with cardiovascular disease and recently kidney disease in men. The researchers assigned twenty-five men and twenty-one women with elevated cholesterol to one of three vegetarian dietary regimens: a low saturated fat diet, the same diet plus 20 milligrams lovastatin per day, or a diet containing four foods that have a cholesterol-lowering benefit: almonds, soy proteins, viscous fibers and margarine containing plant sterols. While the group receiving lovastatin experienced a 30.9 percent drop in LDL cholesterol after four weeks, the group on the third regimen experienced a comparable 28.6 percent reduction. These two groups also experienced the greatest reductions in C-reactive protein levels, at 33.3 and 28.2 percent compared to levels measured at the study’s onset. Lead author and professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, David Jenkins, explained the study’s implications: "As we age, we tend to get raised cholesterol, which in turn increases our risk of heart disease. This study shows that people now have a dietary alternative to drugs to control their cholesterol, at least initially. The Food and Drug Administration has approved these cholesterol-lowering foods as having legitimate health claims for heart disease risk reduction. They're also being recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program as foods that should be incorporated into the diet. And we have now proven that these foods have an almost identical effect on lowering cholesterol as the original cholesterol-reducing drugs." In an editorial in the same issue of JAMA, James W. Anderson, M.D., of the University of Kentucky in Lexington concluded, "Managing diet is the key to treating all common lipid disorders." Eur J Clin Nutr, 5/05 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.