| Disease | 5 PATIENTS WITH DIVERTICULAR DISEASE WERE GIVEN A LOW CHOLESTEROL, LOW FIBER DIET, SUPPLEMENTED WITH GUAR GUM 11 DAYS, UNSUPPLEMENTED 11 DAYS, AND THEN SUPPLEMENTED WITH NONVISCOUS FIBER (WHEAT BRAN AND VEGETABLE) 11 DAYS.
ORDER OF SUPPLEMENTS WAS REVERSED IN 3 MORE PATIENTS. FOR BOTH WHEAT AND GUAR, SERUM TRIGLYCERIDES WERE UNCHANGED IN THE THREE DIETARY PERIODS. CHOLESTEROL WAS LOWER IN THE GUAR PERIOD, MAINLY LDL CHOLESTEROL.
SERUM CHOLESTEROL WAS NOT CHANGED IN THE LOW FIBER OR WHEAT BRAN PERIODS. IN THE GUAR PERIOD, CHOLESTEROL PRECURSOR LEVELS INCREASED, AND FECAL CHOLESTEROL ELIMINATION WAS HIGHER.
IN THE WHEAT BRAN PERIOD, A SLIGHT DECREASE IN CHOLESTEROL ABSORPTION EFFICIENCY WAS OFFSET BY A REDUCTION IN FECAL BILE ACIDS, SO THAT SERUM CHOLESTEROL WAS UNCHANGED. |