Food Synergy by Elaine Magee

Author:Elaine Magee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2012-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

HOW CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING FOODS WORK TOGETHER

The Portfolio of four cholesterol-lowering foods has been tested in several different studies at the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and the University of Toronto using people with hyperlipidemia (the scientific name for high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels). Following this plan admittedly requires a bit of diligence, so what did these participants get for their trouble? In one of the most recent studies, more than 30 percent of motivated participants lowered their LDL cholesterol levels more than 20 percent! The exciting point in this headline is that these responses are similar to the amount of improvement usually seen with statin medications. Other studies have shown similar results.

According to David Jenkins, MD, PhD, chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and creator of the Portfolio plan, each of the diet’s four featured foods has been found to lower cholesterol by up to 7 percent. Plant sterols, for example, have a noted cholesterol-lowering effect. But when they’re combined with soy protein, almonds, and soluble fiber, synergy occurs because the cholesterol-lowering effect is greater than that of plant sterols alone.

But that’s not all the good news—if those cholesterol-lowering benefits are the cake, here’s the icing. The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein, an important risk factor for heart disease, was also reduced in two Portfolio studies. C-reactive protein levels were lowered 24 percent, an amount also similar to reductions seen with statin drug therapy.

What’s the bottom line? An eating plan that includes soy protein, viscous fiber, plant sterol–enriched margarine, and a handful of nuts is a wise choice for anyone concerned about reducing their risk of heart disease. Here’s what you need to know.

Power up with plant sterols. Although they sound like they might have been hatched in a laboratory as some kind of Frankenfood experiment, plant sterols are actually quite natural. Sterols are part of the cell membranes in plants, and they are structurally similar to cholesterol. In the body, they go to work during digestion, displacing dietary cholesterol in the cells lining the small intestine (where cholesterol is normally absorbed). The less dietary cholesterol absorbed through the intestines, the less cholesterol enters the bloodstream.

According to a recent scientific review, a diet enriched with plant sterols can, on average, reduce LDL cholesterol by approximately 10 percent. So how much is enough? The review also revealed that the favorable effect on LDL appears to be at its greatest at a dose of 2 grams a day. Taking in more than this amount doesn’t seem to offer further benefits. The research that examined the Portfolio plan used plant sterol–enriched margarines, such as Benecol or Take Control, which contribute about 1,700 milligrams (1.7 grams) of plant sterol per tablespoon, as well as other sterol-rich foods such as almonds and soybeans.

In light of this research, the Adult Treatment Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program recently added its support to the recommendation to add 10 to 25 grams a day of viscous fiber along with 2 grams a day of plant sterols to our daily diet.

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