title: Chinese lacto-vegetarian diet exerts favorable effects on metabolic parameters, intima-media thickness, and cardiovascular risks in healthy men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate whether the Chinese lacto-vegetarian diet has protective effects on metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty-nine healthy Chinese lacto-vegetarians and 126 healthy omnivore men aged 21-76 years were enrolled. Anthropometric indexes, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, pancreatic β cell function, and intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries were assessed and compared. Cardiovascular risk points and probability of developing CVD in 5-10 years in participants aged 24-55 years were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with omnivores, lacto-vegetarians had remarkably lower body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, γ-glutamyl transferase, serum creatinine, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, as well as lower total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. Vegetarians also had higher homeostasis model assessment β cell function and insulin secretion index and thinner carotid IMT than the omnivores did. These results corresponded with lower cardiovascular risk points and probability of developing CVD in 5-10 years in vegetarians 24-55 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy Chinese men, the lacto-vegetarian diet seems to exert protective effects on blood pressure, lipid profiles, and metabolic parameters and results in significantly lower carotid IMT. Lower CVD risks found in vegetarians also reflect the beneficial effect of the Chinese lacto-vegetarian diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, PR China.
authors.forename: Shu-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-Qin
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ya-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiu-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Can-Dong
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids