A LOW-VISCOSITY SOLUBLE-FIBER FRUIT JUICE SUPPLEMENT FAILS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC MEN AND WOMEN

This study was designed to determine whether a soluble dietary fiber s upplement containing gum arabic and pectin in apple juice would lower serum lipids in 110 hypercholesterolemic men and women. Subjects were stabilized on an American Heart Association Phase I Diet for 8 wk. Tho se with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, despite d ietary modification, continued to follow the diet and were randomly as signed to receive 720 mL/d of apple juice containing 0 (control), 5, 9 or 15 g of gum arabic and pectin (4:1 ratio) for 12 wk, followed by a 6-wk apple juice-only washout phase. Serum lipid profiles, body weigh t and 3-day diet records were collected at 3-wk intervals. No signific ant differences among groups were observed in serum lipid responses du ring treatment or washout, During the treatment phase, mean serum tota l cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increased by 3.5 and 28. 5%, respectively tall groups combined, P < 0.0001). The high density l ipoprotein cholesterol level did not change significantly from baselin e in any group. During washout, mean total cholesterol concentration r ose by an additional 2.4% (P ( 0.05) compared with the value at the en d of the treatment period, suggesting that the apple juice used to del iver the fiber supplement may have contributed to the adverse changes observed in the serum lipid profile. These findings do not support the hypothesized hypocholesterolemic effect of the gum arabic/pectin (4:1 ) mixture studied, but do underline the importance of selecting approp riate vehicles for delivery of dietary fiber mixtures.