veggies vs. statin drugs

Did you know that a 2003 study from the Journal of the American Medical Assocation (JAMA) demonstrates that a vegetarian diet may lower cholesterol as much as statin drugs? A group of people who ate a veggie diet that included foods such as soy products, high-fiber grains, and almonds lowered their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 29% after one month. Pretty astounding when you consider that this was about the same drop as a group that ate a low-fat diet and took cholesterol meds! Other good foods to help with cholesterol levels include olive oil, green tea, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms.