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Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. J. Ågren ,
E. Tvrzicka ,
M. T. Nenonen ,
T. Helve  and
O. Hänninen
J. J. Ågren*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
E. Tvrzicka
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
M. T. Nenonen
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
T. Helve
Affiliation:
Department of Rheumatology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
O. Hänninen
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
*
*Corresponding author:J. J. Ågren, fax +358 17 163112, email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The effects of a strict uncooked vegan diet on serum lipid and sterol concentrations were studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects were randomized into a vegan diet group (n 16), who consumed a vegan diet for 2–3 months, or into a control group (n 13), who continued their usual omnivorous diets. Serum total and LDL-cholesterol and -phospholipid concentrations were significantly decreased by the vegan diet. The levels of serum cholestanol and lathosterol also decreased, but serum cholestanol:total cholesterol and lathosterol:total cholesterol did not change. The effect of a vegan diet on serum plant sterols was divergent as the concentration of campesterol decreased while that of sitosterol increased. This effect resulted in a significantly greater sitosterol:campesterol value in the vegan diet group than in the control group (1.48 (SD 0.39) V. 0.72 (sd 0.14); P<0.001). A higher concentration of campesterol compared with sitosterol is normal in omnivorous subjects and can be explained by lower absorption and esterification rates of sitosterol. Our results suggest that a strict uncooked vegan diet changes the relative absorption rates of these sterols and/or their biliary clearance.

Keywords

Vegan dietCholesterolPlant sterol
Type
Short communication
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 85 , Issue 2 , February 2001 , pp. 137 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

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