June 24, 2008

Canada finds blueberry may lower swine cholesterol levels

Canadian researchers have found that supplementing a pig's diet with blueberries may lower cholesterol levels by over 10 percent.

According to the British Journal of Nutrition, feeding pigs with a 2 percent blueberry diet led to reductions in total, LDL and HDL-cholesterol of 12 percent, 15 percent and 8 percent respectively.

In feeding trials, it was found that blueberry supplementation reduced plasma cholesterol levels more effectively when animals received a mostly plant-based diet than when they received a less heart-healthy diet, according to lead researcher Wilhelmina Kalt from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Soy, oats and barley contained in the diets may have functioned synergistically with the blueberries to beneficially affect plasma lipids, Kalt added.