Plant Based Diets Linked with Lower Cholesterol

Research continues to support the benefits of plant based diets, which feature wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. To get a better picture of the long-term effects, researchers analyzed 49 studies (19 clinical trials, 30 observational). Consistent with other reviews, they found that following a vegetarian diet is linked with lower cholesterol (29.2 mg/dL lower total cholesterol, 22.9 mg/dL lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, and 3.6 mg/dL lower HDL “good” cholesterol) compared with meat containing diets, but the lower levels of fat in the blood (triglycerides) were not statistically significant.
Nutrition Reviews. 2017 August 21. (Yoko Yokoyama et al.) [Epub]