Mounting evidence has suggested that low-fat diets, even those filled with fruit and vegetables, have raised plasma levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, the "bad cholesterol". A study was performed to explore how changes in the diet affected LDL levels. Participants of the study included 37 healthy women placed on two different diets. Both diets were low in total and saturated fats, however one diet was low in vegetables and the other was high in vegetables, berries and fruit.

The study revealed that those on the low-fat, low-vegetable diet had increased LDL blood levels of 27 percent and 19 percent in the low-fat, high-vegetable diet. Both of the diets were shown to have small, yet significant, decreases in HDL, the "good" cholesterol.

Researchers attributed the increase in LDL levels as a response to an increase of a protein called lipoprotein "a" in the diets. Arteriosclerosis Thrombotic Vascular Biology March 2004;24(3):498-503

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Once again, society has tried the low-fat nonsense approach to diet and found it a dismal failure. There are several dangers associated with a low-fat diet. Now, in a small study of women, a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables caused an increase in the plasma levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol