title: Effect on lipid metabolism of beet fibre in desert nomads with low habitual fibre intake.
abstract: The present study was conducted to test the efficacy of fibre supplementation for hypercholesterolaemia in subjects from the desert Nomads. Ten males (53 +/- 8 years of age) participated in this study which consisted of three phases: baseline-1 period (2 weeks) in which subjects were on their normal, habitual dietary intake, followed by a period of fibre supplementation (5 weeks) in which subjects were supplemented with 26 g fibre/d, and baseline-2 period (4 weeks) in which fibre supplement was withdrawn. Fibre supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in levels of total serum cholesterol (10 per cent decrease, P less than 0.005 during the second week; and 13.4 per cent decrease, P less than 0.0005 during the fifth week) and LDL-cholesterol (14.3 per cent decrease, P less than 0.01 during the second week; and 16.8 per cent decrease, P less than 0.005 during the fifth week. The LDL/HDL ratio dropped 5.2 per cent (P less than 0.005) during the second week and 10.4 per cent (P less than 0.0001) during the fifth week of the fibre supplementation period. Concentrations of serum triglycerides decreased 4.8 per cent (not significant) during the second week and 9.5 per cent (P less than 0.01) during the fifth week. Daily intake of nutrients, body weight, and HDL-cholesterol levels did not change significantly. We conclude that, in populations such as the desert Nomads, where dietary manipulation and/or therapeutic options are quite limited, fibre supplementation may provide an alternative and effective therapy for the control of hypercholesterolaemia.
authors.affiliation: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Macdonald College of McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Z T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Cossack
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Musaiger
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D002784:Cholesterol