Serum cholesterol level reduction is an important factor for preventing lifestyle-related disease. Together, search for food materials which reduces serum cholesterol level have come to people' s attention.
In this study, we carried out a large-scale and a long-term study to evaluate the effect of brown rice on serum cholesterol level. In brief, we conducted this study using a cross-over design with 90 days of consuming pregelatinized brown rice against non-brown rice.
The following results were obtained.
1) There was a low drop-out rate: 2.5% (3 of 120 subjects), and many participants replied that this program was easy to join, because the preparing of brown rice was very easy and the contents of the program were very simple.
2) Brown rice intake increased bowel movement and improved the participant' s physical condition.
3) Serum cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in the subjects starting with abnormal value of serum cholesterol (over 221 mg/dL) by brown rice intake.
4) Brown rice intake decreased serum LDL cholesterol in the subjects with initial level of high serum LDL cholesterol (over 140 mg/dL).
5) However, serum HDL cholesterol level of brown rice intake group did not change in the subjects of low serum HDL cholesterol levels (under 40 mg/dL).
These large-scale studies suggested brown rice has serum cholesterol decreasing effect in people with high cholesterol level.
