THE CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING EFFECT OF A BREAKFAST CEREAL CONTAINING PSYLLIUM FIBER

Objective: To determine the cholesterol-lowering effect of ready-to-ea t cereal containing soluble fibre as psyllium (86%), oatmeal and barle y on the plasma lipids of otherwise healthy men with mild hypercholest erolaemia, who were already eating a diet low in saturated fats. Desig n: Double-blind crossover trial, lasting 12 weeks, in volunteers eatin g each cereal for six weeks at home, in Sydney and Newcastle (New Sout h Wales). Participants: Eighty-one men (average age 50 years; range, 3 1-69 years) who had initial plasma (total) cholesterol concentrations of 5.8-8.8 mmol/L, but did not have major illness, obesity or diabetes , and were not on special diets or taking stool bulkers. Intervention: One box of cereal was eaten each day: control, 60 g wheat/wheat bran (2 g soluble fibre); or test, 50 g of product containing psyllium/oats /barley (12 g soluble fibre). Subjects were allocated at random, when established on a low saturated fat diet, to wheat followed by psyllium cereal or psyllium followed by wheat cereal. Main outcome measures: P lasma total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyc eride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations measured twice, four to seven days apart before the start of the trial and then after six weeks of eating each cereal. Results: Compliance was excell ent with both cereals. There were no significant differences in subjec ts) macronutrient intake or body weight between the two six-week perio ds. Total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentr ations fell. significantly on psyllium cereal, relative to wheat cerea l, in both periods at both centres (mean -3.2% and -4.4%, respectively ). There were no consistent changes in triglyceride or high density Li poprotein cholesterol concentrations. Conclusion: This type of product , which is easy to consume on a daily basis, is a useful adjunct to th e dietary management of mild hypercholesterolaemia.