Comparison of the effects of oat bran and low-fiber wheat on serum lipoprotein levels and blood pressure

Article Abstract:

Previous studies and reporting in the popular press have resulted in widespread interest in and acceptance of the effectiveness of oat bran and other high-fiber carbohydrates in reducing the level of blood cholesterol. Whether this effect is a direct result of some component of oat bran itself, or whether it results from replacement of fatty foods in the diet by carbohydrates remains unclear. Clinical trials of the use of different foods containing high fiber have resulted in conflicting reports. Fiber from mixed vegetable sources, cellulose, and water-insoluble wheat fiber have been consistently shown to have no effect. As a result water-soluble fibers are believed to have the cholesterol-reducing effect; oat bran is a convenient source of water-soluble fiber. Twenty hospital employees volunteered for a study comparing the value of oat bran and low-fiber wheat in reducing their blood cholesterol levels. Following a period of eating a normal diet, one half of the participants were assigned to either a high-fiber or low-fiber supplementation for a period of six weeks. Following this period they resumed a normal diet for two more weeks and then were assigned to the other diet for an additional six-week period. The volunteers recorded their dietary intake, completed questionnaires, gave numerous blood samples for cholesterol and other blood measurements, and took their own blood pressure on a regular basis. Body weights were also taken. No effect of either treatment on blood pressure could be detected. Both high-fiber and low-fiber supplementation had similar cholesterol-lowering effects (7-8 percent), and this may have been due to a reduced intake of fats and dietary cholesterol as a consequence of increased carbohydrate in the subjects' diets. Analysis confirms that the shift in dietary intake of fats was sufficient to produce the observed drop in blood cholesterol levels. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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A prospective study of cholesterol, apolipoproteins, and the risk of myocardial infarction

Article Abstract:

Although studies have shown that lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or 'good') cholesterol carry an increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks, how this occurs is not understood. HDL cholesterol is made up of subfractions (designated by subscripts, such as HDL-2), but whether some types are more important in lowering the development of heart disease than others is still being studied. The role of apolipoproteins (the nonfat part of the lipoprotein molecule) is also unclear. Blood samples were taken from 14,916 men to study the effects of the subfractions of HDL cholesterol and apolipoproteins on heart attacks (myocardial infarctions). After five years, 246 men who had had heart attacks were matched by age and smoking status with 246 others in the sample who had not. HDL cholesterol level was a powerful indicator of the risk of heart attack. This was not only true for HDL-2 cholesterol, as originally supposed, but even more so for HDL-3 cholesterol. The higher the level of HDL-3 cholesterol, the lower the risk of heart attack. However, the subfractions were not significantly better at predicting a heart attack than the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol alone. The men in this study, chosen from the database of the Physicians' Health Study, are healthier than average, and had lower levels of cholesterol, but the results were consistent with the findings of other studies. Measurements of apolipoproteins and subfractions of HDL cholesterol are not recommended for assessment of risk in clinical practice because they do not add to the knowledge already provided by HDL cholesterol alone. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Physicians, Medical professions, Heart attack, Apolipoproteins

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Dietary fiber - nostrum or critical nutrient?

Article Abstract:

A high-fiber diet is accepted treatment for patients who suffer from constipation and for specific gastrointestinal conditions such as diverticulitis or hemorrhoids. Although claimed to be useful in the prevention of coronary artery disease, its value is restricted to its ability to reduce the level of cholesterol and lipids (fats) found in the blood. A paper in the January 18, 1990 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested that the observed lowering of cholesterol is due to the simple fact that individuals eating either a high-fiber oat bran or low-fiber supplement consume less fat and cholesterol. In short, individuals eating, say, oat bran muffins do not eat as much bacon and eggs. Nevertheless, important improvements are gained by lowering the consumption of high cholesterol products and in the gastrointestinal benefits of consuming a diet higher in fiber. These include reduction in cancer of the large bowel and reduction in bowel diseases such as constipation and hemorrhoids. So while the cholesterol-lowering effects of high fiber-containing food such as oat bran may be largely indirect, through reduction in dietary cholesterol intake, its overall value to health is becoming clearer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

editorial

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