Original Article

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006) 60, 62–68. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602268; published online 31 August 2005

A randomized controlled trial of dietary fiber intake on serum lipids

Guarantor: J He.

Contributors: JC and JH contributed to conception and design of the study, conduct of the study, analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting of the article, and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. RPW contributed to analysis and interpretation of the data and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. KR contributed to conduct of the study, and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. RHS and PKW contributed to conception and design of the study and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. In addition, JH contributed to Obtaining of funding.

J Chen1,2, J He1,2, R P Wildman2, K Reynolds2, R H Streiffer3 and P K Whelton1,2

  1. 1Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
  2. 2Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
  3. 3Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

Correspondence: Professor J He, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue SL18, New Orleans, LA 70112-2699, USA. E-mail: jhe@tulane.edu

Received 20 December 2004; Revised 26 June 2005; Accepted 12 July 2005; Published online 31 August 2005.

Top

Abstract

Objective:

 

Clinical trials have indicated that water-soluble fiber from oats reduces serum cholesterol among hypercholesterolemic patients on a low-fat diet. We examined the effect of dietary fiber intake on serum lipids among persons without hypercholesterolemia.

Design:

 

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting and subjects:

 

We recruited 110 participants who were aged 30–65 years and had a serum cholesterol level <240 mg/dl from community.

Intervention:

 

Study participants were randomly assigned to receive 8 g per day of water-soluble fiber from oat bran or a control intervention.

Results:

 

At baseline, the mean levels of serum cholesterol and other measured variables were comparable between the high-fiber and control groups. Over the 3-month intervention, mean changes (95% confidence interval (CI)) in total, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol were -2.42 mg/dl (-8.90 to 4.05 mg/dl; P=0.46), -0.24 mg/dl (-2.19 to 1.71 mg/dl; P=0.81), and -1.96 mg/dl (-7.32 to 3.40 mg/dl; P=0.47) in the fiber group and -0.02 mg/dl (-5.29 to 5.26 mg/dl; P=0.99), 1.42 mg/dl (-0.74 to 3.59 mg/dl; P=0.19), and -0.64 mg/dl (-5.30 to 4.03 mg/dl; P=0.79) in the control group, respectively. The net changes (95% confidence interval) in total, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol were -2.40 mg/dl (-10.6 to 5.81 mg/dl; P=0.56), -1.66 mg/dl (-4.55 to 1.22 mg/dl; P=0.26) and -1.33 mg/dl (-8.33 to 5.68 mg/dl; P=0.71), respectively.

Conclusions:

 

Our study does not support the hypothesis that water-soluble fiber intake from oat bran reduces total and LDL-cholesterol in study participants with a normal serum cholesterol level.

Keywords:

dietary fiber, cholesterol, glucose, clinical trials

Extra navigation

.

naturejobs

More science jobs
Post a job for free
ADVERTISEMENT