# Low-Fat Diets Lower Non-HDL Cholesterol Across 92 Trials

_Evidence Level: Strong · Soltani S et al., Nutrition reviews, DOI 10.1093/nutrit/nuag114_

*Comparative Effects of Low-Fat and High-Fat Diets on Non-HDL Cholesterol, Apolipoproteins, and Lipoprotein Ratios: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.*

- **Evidence Level**: Strong
- **Why this grade**: The analysis pools 92 trials that assigned diets at random; the authors rate the main finding as high certainty, though several other markers remain uncertain.
- **Facts**: Design: Meta-analysis
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Nutrition reviews
- **Sample Size**: 92 randomized trials in adults
- **Authors**: Soltani S, Meshkini F, Mirjalili SR, Torabinasab K, Moslehi N
- **Graded and published**: 2026-10-16
- **Last edited**: 2026-10-26
- **Topics**: Nutrition, Heart Health, Biomarkers
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuag114
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42887888/

## Summary

Low-fat or high-fat: for blood fats, the choice makes a small but measurable difference. An analysis pooling 92 trials found that low-fat eating lowers so-called non-HDL cholesterol. This is all the cholesterol in the blood except HDL, often called the "good" cholesterol. On average, the level fell by 8 milligrams per deciliter.

In every trial, people were assigned to their diet at random. Low-fat meant no more than 30 percent of calories from fat; the comparison diets had more. The researchers also checked proteins that sit on the fat-carrying particles in the blood. There was no clear difference in the protein ApoB, nor in another blood fat called lipoprotein(a). Some parts of HDL fell slightly. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL rose slightly.

The authors see low-fat eating as an effective way to lower non-HDL cholesterol. They found no strong evidence of harm to the ratio measures. For ApoB and several other markers, the picture remains unclear. Heart attacks and strokes were not analysed, only blood values.

## Practical Takeaway

Low-fat diets cut non-HDL cholesterol by 8 milligrams per deciliter on average, while ApoB showed no clear difference.

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