Flaxseed supplementation in hyperlipidemic patients.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of daily consumption of dietary flaxseed (as a source of linolenic acid, LNA) on plasma lipid concentrations in mildly hyperlipidemic patients.


METHODS
40 hyperlipidemic patients with plasma total cholesterol greater than 240 mg/dL were distributed in 3 groups: 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet (diet group), 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus statins (diet+HL group), 20 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus 20 g ground flax-seeds/day (diet+flax group). Body mass index (BMI), serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were measured at the beginning and after 60 days of treatment.


RESULTS
Flaxseed supplementation was associated with significant reductions in TC (-17.2%), LDL-C (-3.9%), TG (-36.3%) and TC/HDL-C ratio (-33.5%). There were no significant differences in absolute change in BMI nor in percentage change in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio between flaxseed and statin groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary flaxseed significantly improves lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients and may favorably modify cardiovascular risk factors.
Mandaşescu
Silvia
S
Roman City Hospital, Endocrinology/Diabetes Service, Gr.T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iaşi, School of Medicine.
Mocanu
Veronica
V
Dăscaliţa
Ana-Maria
AM
Haliga
Raluca
R
Nestian
I
I
Stitt
P A
PA
Luca
Veronica
V
D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D019597:Flax; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012639:Seeds; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid