Effect of Pectin Dose on Serum Cholesterol Levels

Abstract

Evaluation of the daily pectin intake, in 2 gm. increments, has been carried out in a double-blind clinical study of sixteen volunteer subjects. The treatment time extended over six four week test periods followed by a ten week nontreatment period. Total serum cholesterol determinations were made on blood samples obtained prior to treatment and during the final week of each observation period. Four statistical procedures were used to analyze the data. Results of the Student’s t test, analysis of variance and Duncan’s range test all indicated that a daily dose of 6 gm. to 10 gm. of Pectin N.F. XI significantly reduced the serum cholesterol level in this group of subjects. The correlation coefficient calculation for each subject was the fourth statistical procedure used to evaluate the data. The results of the paired Student’s t test implied that possibly there was a carry-over effect at the 10 gm. intake level which appears to have been dissipated in two to three months. In addition to evaluating the effect of treatment with various pectin doses, the analysis of variance indicated that all subjects on self-selected diets do not respond equally well to pectin therapy. From the correlation coefficient calculations it was noted that twelve of the sixteen subjects had negative coefficients signifying a reduction of serum cholesterol with increased pectin doses. Two of these twelve subjects had negative correlation coefficients which were significant at P = 0.05. A graph of the least squares lines for these two subjects (Fig. 1) illustrates the over-all effect pectin treatment had on these subjects and indicates that some variability of pectin dosage is needed by different people in order to maintain lowered cholesterol levels.