Changes in the serum lipoprotein pattern induced by two low-fat diets with a different vegetable content in...

Thirty-two hypercholesterolemic outpatients were treated by a conventional low-fat diet (carbohydrate 56%; fat 25%; vegetable proteins 7%; animal proteins 12% of energy; P/S ratio 1.0). After 1 month T-C decreased by 11%, VLDL-C by 32%, LDL-C by 8%, HDLt-C by 10% and HDL2-C by 11%. Thirty-two comparable patients were treated by a different low-fat diet which provided 69% of energy as carbohydrate, 19% as fat, 7% as vegetable proteins and 5% as animal proteins; P/S ratio was 1.3. After 1 month T-C decreased by 9% and LDL-C by 12%. VLDL-C, HDL2-C and HDL3-C did not change significantly. A cross-over study on 24 patients confirmed that both diets have lowering effects on T-C and LDL-C levels, but only the conventional low-fat diet decreases VLDL-C and HDL2-C.