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December 06, 2006 | Issue 94 | ||
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Diet As Effective As Statins In Lowering Cholesterol
A near-vegetarian diet rich in fiber-filled foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, similar to the Pritikin Eating Plan, was as effective as statin drugs in reducing LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, according to a published study.(1)
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PRITIKIN RECIPES
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The investigation, led by Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto, enrolled 66 men and women with elevated cholesterol levels, average age 59, in a study that lasted one year.
“Real World” Living
After receiving intensive instruction about their new cholesterol-lowering diet, the participants went home and followed the diet all on their own, buying their own groceries, cooking at home, etc.
Portfolio Diet
The eating plan, called the “portfolio” diet, was a combination of cholesterol-lowering foods. In addition to multiple daily servings of fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich beans, and whole grains like oat bran and barley, the diet recommended soy products like tofu soymilk and veggie burgers, as well as plant sterol margarine (about one tablespoon daily), two ounces daily of nuts, and psyllium-containing cereals.
The diet allowed limited servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy foods, egg whites, and low-saturated-fat meat options, like fish, white skinless poultry meat, and lean or extra lean red meat. Off limits were all foods high in saturated and trans fats.
LDL Reductions
After one year, LDL cholesterol had dropped, on average, 13%. The more closely the participants followed the diet, the lower their cholesterol levels dropped. The nearly one-third of participants who stuck most closely to the diet reduced their LDL levels more than 20%.
“Such reductions,” noted the authors, “approach the levels seen with the first generation [low-dose] statins.”
Dr. Jenkins’ findings echo those of UCLA scientists studying the results of men and women attending the Pritikin Longevity Center. In the largest investigation, tracking more than 4,500 Pritikin guests, LDL levels plummeted an average of 23% in just three weeks.(2) Several studies involving smaller numbers of Pritikin grads documented similar reductions.
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Copyright 2006 Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa. All rights reserved.
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Pritikin Perspective - Healthy Living Made Easier
Pritikin Perspective is a publication for Alumni of the Pritikin Longevity Center. It is dedicated to helping people make healthy changes in their lives. The articles in this publication should not be considered specific medical advice, as each individual circumstance is different. You are strongly encouraged to seek medical advice before beginning a program of diet and exercise.
Editor/Writer: Eugenia Killoran.
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