Comparative effects of different whole grains and brans on blood lipid: a network meta-analysis

The comparative effects of different whole grains and brans on blood lipid are still not totally elucidated. We aimed to estimate and rank the effects of different whole grains and brans on the control of blood lipid.

We performed a strategic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for relevant trials. Both pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analyses were conducted to compare and rank the intervention strategies of whole grains and brans for the control of total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG).

Fifty-five eligible trials with a total of 3900 participants were included. Cumulative ranking analyses showed that oat bran was the most effective intervention strategy for TC and LDL-C improvements, with significant decreases of - 0.35 mmol/L (95% CI - 0.47, - 0.23 mmol/L) and - 0.32 mmol/L (95% CI - 0.44, - 0.19 mmol/L) in TC and LDL-C compared with control, respectively. In comparison with control, oat was associated with significant reductions in TC by - 0.26 mmol/L (95% CI - 0.36, - 0.15 mmol/L) and LDL-C by - 0.17 mmol/L (95% CI - 0.28, - 0.07 mmol/L), which was ranked as the second best treatment. Barley, brown rice, wheat and wheat bran were shown to be ineffective in improving blood lipid compared with control.

This network meta-analysis suggests that oat bran and oat are ranked higher than any other treatments for the regulations of TC and LDL-C, indicating that increasing oat sources of whole grain may be recommended for lipid control.