Snacking Linked to Lower Cholesterol

Friday, June 28, 2002

ROCHESTER, MINN. — What you eat affects your cholesterol, but how often you eat might play a role too, according to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

A study recently published in the British Medical Journal found that people who ate five or six times a day had a five percent lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (the "bad" kind) than people who ate once or twice a day. Even more striking, the frequent eaters ate more fat and calories than the group who ate one or two meals.

The results are biologically plausible. Animals who eat large, infrequent meals show an increase in cholesterol production. It could be that frequent snackers are reaping the benefits of metabolism.

Shelly Plutowski
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511 (evenings)
e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-351-8963, extension 9PK1.

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