Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ph5wq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T23:38:58.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. J. Ågren*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
E. Tvrzicka
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
M. T. Nenonen
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
T. Helve
Affiliation:
Department of Rheumatology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
O. Hänninen
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
*
*Corresponding author:J. J. Ågren, fax +358 17 163112, email: jyrki.agren@uku.fi
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effects of a strict uncooked vegan diet on serum lipid and sterol concentrations were studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects were randomized into a vegan diet group (n 16), who consumed a vegan diet for 2–3 months, or into a control group (n 13), who continued their usual omnivorous diets. Serum total and LDL-cholesterol and -phospholipid concentrations were significantly decreased by the vegan diet. The levels of serum cholestanol and lathosterol also decreased, but serum cholestanol:total cholesterol and lathosterol:total cholesterol did not change. The effect of a vegan diet on serum plant sterols was divergent as the concentration of campesterol decreased while that of sitosterol increased. This effect resulted in a significantly greater sitosterol:campesterol value in the vegan diet group than in the control group (1.48 (SD 0.39) V. 0.72 (sd 0.14); P<0.001). A higher concentration of campesterol compared with sitosterol is normal in omnivorous subjects and can be explained by lower absorption and esterification rates of sitosterol. Our results suggest that a strict uncooked vegan diet changes the relative absorption rates of these sterols and/or their biliary clearance.

Type
Short communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

References

Bhattacharyya, AK (1981) Uptake and esterification of plant sterols by rat small intestine. American Journal of Physiology 240, G50-G55.Google ScholarPubMed
De Vries, JHM, Jansen, A, Kromhout, D, van der Bovenkamp, P, van Staveren, WA, Mensink, RP & Katan, MB (1997) The fatty acid and sterol content of food composites of middle-aged men in seven countries. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 10, 115141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwyer, JT (1991) Nutritional consequences of vegetarianism. Annual Review of Nutrition 11, 6191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedewald, WT, Levy, R & Fredrickson, DS (1972) Estimation of the concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma without use of the preparative centrifuge. Clinical Chemistry 18, 499502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hä#nninen, O, Nenonen, M, Ling, WH, Li, DS & Sihvonen, L (1992) Effects of eating an uncooked vegetable diet for one week. Appetite 19, 243254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haugen, M, Kjeldsen-Kragh, J, NordvÅg, BY & Förre, Ö (1991) Diet and disease symptoms in rheumatic disease: Results of a questionnaire based survey. Clinical Rheumatology 10, 401408.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heinemann, T, Axtmann, G & von Bergmann, K (1993) Comparison of intestinal absorption of cholesterol with different plant sterols in man. European Journal of Clinical Investigation 23, 827831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ling, WH, Laitinen, M & Hänninen, O (1992) Shifting from conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels. Nutrition Research 12, 14311440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nenonen, MT, Helve, TA, Rauma, AL & Hänninen, OO (1998) Uncooked, lactobasilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Rheumatology 37, 274281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pakarinen, MP, Halttunen, J, Kuusanmäki, P, Lauronen, J & Miettinen, TA (1998) Absorption, excretion, and distribution of plant sterol after proximal gut resection and autotransplantation of porcine ileum. Lipids 33, 267276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Piironen, V, Lindsay, DG, Miettinen, TA, Toivo, J & Lampi, AM (2000) Plant sterols: biosynthesis, biological function and their importance to human nutrition. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 80, 939966.3.0.CO;2-C>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rauma, AL, Nenonen, M, Helve, T & Hänninen, O (1993) Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 47, 747749.Google Scholar
Tavani, DM, Nes, WR & Billheimer, JT (1982) The sterol substrate specificity of acyl CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase from rat liver. Journal of Lipid Research 23, 774781.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tilvis, RS & Miettinen, TA (1986) Serum plant sterols and their relation to cholesterol absorption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 43, 9297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vanhanen, HT & Miettinen, TA (1992) Effects of unsaturated and saturated dietary plant sterols on their serum content. Clinica Chimica Acta 31, 97107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vuoristo, M & Miettinen, TA (1994) Absorption, metabolism, and serum concentrations of cholesterol in vegetarians: effects of cholesterol feeding. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59, 13251331.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed