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A randomized controlled trial of dietary fiber intake on serum lipids

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 62–68 (2006)Cite this article

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.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant (HL60300) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and partially by Tulane-Charity-LSU General Clinical Research Center (RR05096). Drs J Chen and RP Wildman were supported by Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Scholarship (K12 HD43451) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland. The Quaker Oats Company provided oat bran concentrate and cold cereal for the study.

The authors would like to express their appreciation to all study participants and study staff members, including study coordinator, Sara Bienvenu, RN, Kenya Morris-Brooks, MPH, Liying Hao, MD, Timir Paul, MD, MPH, Rhonda Fontenot, RN, Patricia Early, RN, Angela Cemo, RD, and Rosanne Farris, RD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    J Chen, J He & P K Whelton

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

    J Chen, J He, R P Wildman, K Reynolds & P K Whelton

  3. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R H Streiffer

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  1. J Chen
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Correspondence to J He.

Additional information

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.

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Chen, J., He, J., Wildman, R. et al. A randomized controlled trial of dietary fiber intake on serum lipids. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 62–68 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602268

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