Conclusions This systematic review and meta‐ analysis provides evidence that vegetarian diets effectively lower blood concentrations of total cholesterol , low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol , high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol , and non – high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol .
Such diets could be a useful nonpharmaceutical means of managing dyslipidemia , especially hypercholesterolemia
Background Vegetarian diets exclude all animal flesh and are being widely adopted by an increasing number of people ; however , effects on blood lipid concentrations remain unclear .
This meta‐ analysis aim ed to quantitatively assess the overall effects of  vegetarian diets on blood lipids .
Cardiovascular disease risk factors in free-living men: comparison of two prudent diets, one based on lactoovovegetarianism and the other allowing lean meat.
In general , vegetarians have lower serum lipids and blood pressures than omnivores have . We tested the blood pressure and serum lipid lowering effects of two fat-modified diets differing primarily in their source of protein . Twenty-six men were r and omized in an incomplete block design to two of three diets : a high-fat diet , a fat-modified lactoovovegetarian diet ( LOV ) and a diet in which 60 % of plant protein in the LOV was replaced with lean meat ( LM ) . Compared with the high-fat diet both prudent diets significantly lowered blood pressure , serum total cholesterol ( TC ) , and LDL cholesterol but significantly increased serum triglycerides . The LOV diet had a significantly greater cholesterol-lowering effect than did the LM diet ( 10 % vs 5 % decrease ) but blood pressure reductions were similar . The partial substitution of lean meat for plant protein in a fat-modified diet did not negate the overall cardiovascular-risk lowering of the lactoovovegetarian diet
Conclusions This systematic review and meta‐ analysis provides evidence that vegetarian diets effectively lower blood concentrations of total cholesterol , low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol , high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol , and non – high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol .
Such diets could be a useful nonpharmaceutical means of managing dyslipidemia , especially hypercholesterolemia
Background Vegetarian diets exclude all animal flesh and are being widely adopted by an increasing number of people ; however , effects on blood lipid concentrations remain unclear .
This meta‐ analysis aim ed to quantitatively assess the overall effects of  vegetarian diets on blood lipids .