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

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 137 - 139
• Main Authors: Ågren, J. J., Tvrzicka, E., Nenonen, M. T., Helve, T., Hänninen, O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.02.2001
• Subjects: Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diet therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cholestanol - blood; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - analogs & derivatives; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Diet, Vegetarian; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Humans; Inflammatory joint diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Phospholipids - blood; Phytosterols; Plant sterol; Short communication; Sitosterols - blood; Statistics, Nonparametric; Sterols - blood; Vegan diet; Plant sterol; Cholesterol; Vegan diet; Human; Immunopathology; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Vegetarian diet; Uncooked food; Lipids; Autoimmune disease; Inflammatory joint disease; Feeding; Chronic; Absorption; Lipemia; Rheumatoid arthritis; Plant origin; Sterol
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN2000234

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.