Multivariate analysis of diet and serum lipids in normal men.

The relationships among intake of dietary fiber, fat, and serum lipids were examined in a population of 200 normal men. Univariate analyses indicated that men with lower serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were consuming significantly more dietary fiber and proportionately fewer fat calories. However, higher fiber consumption was also associated with differences in relative body weight, fat intake, and cigarette smoking; the relationship of dietary fiber intake to serum lipids was largely mediated by those coexisting differences in other environmental variables. In contrast, the percentage of total calories consumed as fat was independently positively related to both serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.