Rye bread intake improves oxidation resistance of LDL in healthy humans

Soderholm PP et al. – Rye bread intake improved significantly the oxidation resistance of LDL. Further studies are needed to clarify the protective mechanism(s).

Methods

• 63 healthy subjects excluded rye products for one week (baseline), followed by a stepwise addition of rye bread from 99g/d during the first two weeks to 198g/d during the following two weeks.
• Additionally plant sterols were incorporated into the rye bread for half of the subjects to study cholesterol–lowering.
• The resistance of LDL against copper–induced oxidation was determined at baseline and at the end of the rye–period by monitoring formation of conjugated dienes.

Results

• Authors observed a significant increase in the oxidation resistance of LDL, determined as a prolongation of the lag time (P<0.001) and decrease in the slope of the propagation phase (P=0.048) from baseline to the end of the rye–period without changes in vitamin E concentration.
• Authors observed no significant differences in the oxidation resistance of LDL between subjects who did or did not receive plant sterols.

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