Vegetarian Diet and Cholesterol and Triglycerides Levels

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The vegans had the lowest cholesterol, TG, LDL and

HDL/TC ratios and BMIs. HDLs, were not significantly

different

Unforutanetly, the article doesnt give the nutrient

breakdown of the different diets.

Jeff

Vegetarian Diet and Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Levels

Simone Grigoletto De Biase, Francine Carrocha

Fernandes, Reinaldo José Gianini, João Luiz

Duarte

Catholic University at São o, São o, SP -

Brazil

Objective: Compare levels of triglyceride (TG), total

cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and

high density lipoprotein

(HDL) among vegetarians and omnivores.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 76

individuals – both males and females – separated in

four different diet

groups: omnivores, lacto-ovo vegetarians, lacto

vegetarians, and restricted vegetarians (or vegans).

Dosing was done for: TC,

LDL, HDL and TG.

Results: Significant difference was reported for TC,

LDL and TG levels among the samples. Higher levels

were reported by

omnivores, with decreased levels for vegetarians as

animal products were restricted, with lowest levels

having been reported

by vegans. Mean and standard deviation for TC were

208.09 ± 49.09 mg/dl in the group of omnivores, and

141.06 ± 30.56

mg/dl in the group of vegans (p < 0.001). LDL values

for omnivores and vegans were respectively: 123.43 ±

42.67 mg/dl

and 69.28 ± 29.53 mg/dl (p < 0.001). As for TG, those

values were 155.68 ± 119.84 mg/dl and 81.67 ± 81.90

mg/dl (p <

0.01). As for HDL level no difference was reported

between the samples, but HDL/TC ratio was

significantly higher in vegans

(p = 0.01).

Conclusion: Vegetarian diet was associated to lower

levels of TG, TC and LDL as compared to the diet of omnivores.