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 .
Gluten-free vegan diet induces decreased LDL and oxidized LDL levels and raised atheroprotective natural antibodies against phosphorylcholine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized study
Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) on blood lipids oxidized low-density lipoprotein ( oxLDL ) and natural atheroprotective antibodies against phosphorylcholine ( anti-PCs ) . Methods Sixty-six patients with active RA were r and omly assigned to either a vegan diet free of gluten ( 38 patients ) or a well-balanced non-vegan diet ( 28 patients ) for 1 year . Thirty patients in the vegan group completed more than 3 months on the diet regimen . Blood lipids were analyzed by routine methods , and oxLDL and anti-PCs were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Data and serum sample s were obtained at baseline and after 3 and 12 months . Results Mean ages were 50.0 years for the vegan group and 50.8 years for controls .  Gluten-free vegan diet induced lower body mass index ( BMI ) and low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) and higher anti-PC IgM than control diet ( p < 0.005 ) . In the vegan group , BMI , LDL , and cholesterol decreased after both 3 and 12 months ( p < 0.01 ) and oxLDL after 3 months ( p = 0.021 ) and trendwise after 12 months ( p = 0.090 ) . Triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein did not change . IgA anti-PC levels increased after 3 months ( p = 0.027 ) and IgM anti-PC levels increased trendwise after 12 months ( p = 0.057 ) . There was no difference in IgG anti-PC levels . In the control diet group , IgM anti-PC levels decreased both after 3 and 12 months ( p < 0.01 ) . When separating vegan patients into clinical responders and non-responders at 12 months , the effects on oxLDL and anti-PC IgA were seen only in responders ( p < 0.05 ) . Conclusion A gluten-free vegan diet in RA induces changes that are potentially atheroprotective and anti-inflammatory , including decreased LDL and oxLDL levels and raised anti-PC IgM and IgA levels
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 .