Guar gum and plasma cholesterol. Effect of guar gum and an oat fiber source on plasma lipoproteins and cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic adults.

The hypolipidemic effect of guar gum (GG, 15 g/day) was compared with that of an oat fiber source (OFS, 77 g/day). Both treatments supplied the same amount of total dietary fiber (11 g/day) and were taken with water three times a day for 3 weeks at mealtime. Thirteen free-living adult men and women participated in the study. Their total plasma cholesterol (TC) was 244 +/- 21 mg/dl (mean +/- SD), and plasma triglycerides (TGLYs) were 149 +/- 93 mg/dl before the intervention. Diets were monitored to ensure that no changes occurred other than the replacement of carbohydrate calories for the 200 kcal/day supplied by the OFS. Combined averages for both of the crossover phases showed that GG induced a reduction in TC of 26 +/- 10 mg/dl and in low density lipoprotein cholesterol of 25 +/- 9 mg/dl. The OFS induced a reduction in TC of 9 +/- 13 mg/dl and in low density lipoprotein cholesterol of 11 +/- 4 mg/dl. Although both treatments were effective in reducing elevated TC, GG at the levels fed was significantly more effective (p less than 0.001) in reducing TC. Neither treatment induced significant changes in high density lipoprotein cholesterol or very low density lipoprotein cholesterol.