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Toronto (AP)- Maybe your doctor should write up a grocery list to help lower your cholesterol, suggests a small study that showed a rigid diet seemed as effective as cholesterol-lowering pills.

Of course, sticking to that diet may not be easy.

"People interested in lowering their cholesterol should probably acquire a taste for tofu and oatmeal," said study co-author David Jenkins of the University of Toronto.

The study, published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was funded in part by almond promoters and a major food company....

The original article can be found at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060314.wtofunut0314_2/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/

The original article can found in the Media Doctor archives.

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This story reviews the effectiveness of a strict diet on cholesterol levels. The results indicate that the diet was almost as effective as statins for lowering cholesterol. This conclusion can only be suggested at this point until a trial comparing the diet and statins is done, which could be difficult given the strictness of the diet.

What is missing from this story is any commentary on the surrogate nature of what was being measured. Cholesterol levels, in and of themselves may be a concern, but what is more of a concern to patients is whether a lower cholesterol level leads to better health outcomes such as fewer heart attacks or strokes.

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