Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Aug; 50(2): 280-7.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors in free-living men: comparison of two prudent diets, one based on lactoovovegetarianism and the other allowing lean meat.

Kestin M, Rouse IL, Correll RA, Nestel PJ.

CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition, Adelaide, Australia.

In general, vegetarians have lower serum lipids and blood pressures than omnivores have. We tested the blood pressure and serum lipid lowering effects of two fat-modified diets differing primarily in their source of protein. Twenty-six men were randomized in an incomplete block design to two of three diets: a high-fat diet, a fat-modified lactoovovegetarian diet (LOV) and a diet in which 60% of plant protein in the LOV was replaced with lean meat (LM). Compared with the high-fat diet both prudent diets significantly lowered blood pressure, serum total cholesterol (TC), and LDL cholesterol but significantly increased serum triglycerides. The LOV diet had a significantly greater cholesterol-lowering effect than did the LM diet (10% vs 5% decrease) but blood pressure reductions were similar. The partial substitution of lean meat for plant protein in a fat-modified diet did not negate the overall cardiovascular-risk lowering of the lactoovovegetarian diet.