Are plant-based diets efficacious in lowering total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels?

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and around the globe. A large body of literature accumulated over the past several decades has shown the benefit of lowering serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels to reduce cardiovascular risk. National guidelines suggest therapeutic lifestyle changes, beginning with diet, as a first step toward lowering TC and LDL-C. It has been suggested a plant-based, low fat diet can substantially reduce TC and LDL- C and thereby reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this review is to examine the state of the science regarding the efficacy of plant-based diets in reducing serum TC and LDL-C levels. While results of the research review indicate some benefit, strong evidence supporting the efficacy of plant-based diet in reducing atherogenic lipids is lacking.

Development and evaluation of DASH diet tailored messages for hypertension treatment.

For this study, the Manage Associated Perceptions (MAP) of Dietary Behavior Study, researchers developed, evaluated, and tested messages tailored to improve compliance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet by gradually instilling healthy Cognitive Representations of the DASH Diet (CRDDs). The sample consisted of women from diverse backgrounds (N = 53), randomly assigned to two experimental groups (n = 13 and n = 14) and to two control groups (n = 12 and n = 14). The experimental groups performed a version of the intervention for 30 days. Data about dietary compliance and CRDDs were collected at 30, 60, and 90 days. Compared to control group members, experimental group members demonstrated greater improvements in CRDD scores and were significantly more compliant with the diet. Another significant finding was that older women were more compliant.