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Tuesday, November 3, 2009: 1:35 PM
Learning Objective 1: describe the effect of four restaurant dinners of four common cuisines on serum lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Non-HDL, Triglycerides, TC/HDL ratio) and blood pressure.
Learning Objective 2: discuss the differences by gender, and older and younger participants, of four restaurant dinners of four common cuisines on serum lipids and blood pressure.
Introduction: Diet and lifestyle constitute a critical foundation for health and the prevention of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Restaurants are ubiquitous in American culture with restaurant food comprising up to a third of calories consumed (Guthrie, Lin, & Frazao, 2002). National dietary guidelines (USDHHS, 2005) and scientific statements (AHA, 2006) associate restaurant food consumption with adverse health consequences, yet the specific effects of restaurant food, and of various cuisines, on biological indices and the risk for various conditons such as cardiovascular disease and stroke have not been well studied.
Study Aim and Methods: This study explored the effect of restaurant dinners on the serum lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Non-HDL, Triglycerides, TC/HDL ratio) and blood pressure (SBP, DBP) of 30 healthy adults. Fifteen couples, 35 to 68, in three cohorts of 10, met for four restaurant dinners of four different common cuisines: American, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican. Fasting lipids and BP were measured before and after each dinner.
Results: No cuisine produced a statistically significant change in lipids or BP for the sample as a whole. SBP decreased slightly after American, Chinese and Italian cuisine, and increased slightly after Mexican. DBP decreased 1.5% after Mexican cuisine, but increased 4%, 1.6%, and 2.9% after American, Chinese, and Italian respectively. On average American cuisine decreased NHDL (-2.0%) and increased HDL (2.0%); Italian decreased NHDL (-1.1%) and HDL (-5.4%); Mexican increased NHDL (5.3%) and HDL (2.7%); and Chinese increased NHDL (1.5%) and decreased HDL (-3.2%). For younger participants Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC (df =19, p =.03) and LDL (df = 19, p = 0.014). For older participants Chinese cuisine significantly decreased HDL (df = 9, p = .016). For women no cuisine had a significant effect. For men Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC (df = 15, p =.034), LDL (p = 0.033), and HDL (p = 0.016).
Discussion: Little evidence was produced to support the purported adverse health consequences of restaurant food. On the contrary, American, Italian, and Mexican cuisines improved lipids. Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC and LDL in men. The effect of restaurant food consumption on lipids and blood pressure as well as other health indices needs much further investigation.
Study Aim and Methods: This study explored the effect of restaurant dinners on the serum lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Non-HDL, Triglycerides, TC/HDL ratio) and blood pressure (SBP, DBP) of 30 healthy adults. Fifteen couples, 35 to 68, in three cohorts of 10, met for four restaurant dinners of four different common cuisines: American, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican. Fasting lipids and BP were measured before and after each dinner.
Results: No cuisine produced a statistically significant change in lipids or BP for the sample as a whole. SBP decreased slightly after American, Chinese and Italian cuisine, and increased slightly after Mexican. DBP decreased 1.5% after Mexican cuisine, but increased 4%, 1.6%, and 2.9% after American, Chinese, and Italian respectively. On average American cuisine decreased NHDL (-2.0%) and increased HDL (2.0%); Italian decreased NHDL (-1.1%) and HDL (-5.4%); Mexican increased NHDL (5.3%) and HDL (2.7%); and Chinese increased NHDL (1.5%) and decreased HDL (-3.2%). For younger participants Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC (df =19, p =.03) and LDL (df = 19, p = 0.014). For older participants Chinese cuisine significantly decreased HDL (df = 9, p = .016). For women no cuisine had a significant effect. For men Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC (df = 15, p =.034), LDL (p = 0.033), and HDL (p = 0.016).
Discussion: Little evidence was produced to support the purported adverse health consequences of restaurant food. On the contrary, American, Italian, and Mexican cuisines improved lipids. Italian cuisine significantly decreased TC and LDL in men. The effect of restaurant food consumption on lipids and blood pressure as well as other health indices needs much further investigation.