THE EFFECTS OF PSYLLIUM ON BLOOD-LIPIDS IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC SUBJECTS

This study was designed to investigate whether psyllium has an intrinsic hypocholesterolaemic effect on serum blood lipids. The 9-week, two-phase study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in subjects (n = 37) with mild to moderate hypercholesterolaemia (serum cholesterol levels 5.2-7.8 mmol/l). After the first 3-week phase, in which subjects adhered to a low-fat diet, the subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups for a further period of 6 weeks. One group consumed 60 g of a high-fibre breakfast cereal daily, containing 9.6 g of soluble fibre from psyllium, and the other (control) group consumed 60 g of a high-fibre breakfast cereal daily, containing negligible amounts of soluble fibre. Both groups maintained a low-fat diet (30% energy from fat). During phase 1, total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were reduced in all subjects; randomization resulted in similar phase I changes in both the psyllium (-8.9% and -1.1%, respectively) and control (-8.9% and -12.8%, respectively) groups. During phase II, total and LDL cholesterol levels were further reduced in the psyllium group (-7.3% and -10.6%, respectively), but not in controls (-2.7 and -6.0%, respectively). Changes in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and body weights over the study period were not significant. Differences between the psyllium and control groups in total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were not significant.