Effects of guar-pasta on serum lipid levels in obese diabetic and non-diabetic women with normal lipids.

Alternative medications for hyperlipidemia management have been continuously searched for above all because currently employed drugs appear not to be effective or are poorly tolerated. Fibers, such as guar-gum, seem to be able to reduce cholesterol levels, but their extensive and long-term use is beset by the high incidence of gastrointestinal side-effects. In this study the administration of guar-enriched pasta has proved to reduce fasting and post-prandial cholesterol levels significantly in 15 obese normocholesterolemic women (5 diabetics and 10 non-diabetics). The women reported good palatableness of guar-pasta without any side-effects.