Dietary fiber and blood lipids: reduction of serum cholesterol in type II hyperlipidemia by guar gum.
Guar gum, a storage polysaccharide galactomannan and a form of dietary fiber, was administered to 10 patients with type II a or b hyperlipidemia for 2 weeks. Five grams of gum was given before each of three meals daily, either in a specially prepared soup or mixed with fruit juice or milk. No other deliberate change of diet was made. Three patients had been taking 12 to 16 g/day of cholestyramine for more than 2 years and one had been taking 1000 mg of clofibrate daily. These drugs were continued throughout the trial. Serum cholesterol levels of all 10 patients had been stable for 6 to 18 months before the trial at the start of which the mean level was 345 +/- 15 mg/dl. After 2 weeks of guar gum the mean was 308 +/- 16 mg/dl, a fall of 10.6% (P less than 0.01). Serum triglyceride was not changed significantly. Guar gum, which can be incorporated into foods, merits further study as a potential hypocholesterolemic agent.
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002482:Cellulose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005685:Galactans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D053149:Plant Gums; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005685:Galactans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D008351:Mannans; D053149:Plant Gums; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014280:Triglycerides; D002482:Cellulose; C007894:guar gum