Lupin kernel fibre-enriched foods beneficially modify serum lipids in men

Objective: To examine the effect of a diet containing a novel legume food ingredient, Australian sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) kernel fibre (LKFibre), compared to a control diet without the addition of LKFibre, on serum lipids in men. Design: Randomized crossover dietary intervention study. Setting: Melbourne, Australia - Free-living men. Subjects: A total of 38 healthy males between the ages of 24 and 64 y completed the intervention. Intervention: Subjects consumed an LKFibre and a control diet for 1 month each. Both diets had the same background menus with seven additional experimental foods that either contained LKFibre or did not. Depending on energy intake, the LKFibre diet was designed to contain an additional 17 to 30 g/day fibre beyond that of the control diet. Results: Compared to the control diet, the LKFibre diet reduced total cholesterol (TC) (mean±s.e.m.; 4.5±1.7%; P=0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (5.4±2.2%; P=0.001), TC: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (3.0±2.0%; P=0.006) and LDL-C:HDL-C (3.8±2.6%; P=0.003). No effects on HDL-C, triacylglycerols, glucose or insulin were observed. Conclusions: Addition of LKFibre to the diet provided favourable changes to some serum lipid measures in men, which, combined with its high palatability, suggest this novel ingredient may be useful in the dietary reduction of coronary heart disease risk. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.