• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 1982

To determine the influence of vegetarian diet on serum lipoprotein, cholesterol and protein levels, 45 young Buddhist nuns (age: $20{\sim}34$ years) and 29 female students(age: $20{\sim}22$ years) were examined. Daily caloric intakes were 1,945 Kcal for the Buddhist nuns and 1,815 Kcal for the students. The ratio of% calorie of carbohydrate: protein: fat from total calories in the Buddhist nuns was 84:11:5 and that in the students was 70:15:15. The Buddhist nuns had significantly higher carbohydrate intake but markedly lower lipid intakes than the students. Anthropometric measurement showed that the Buddhist nuns had significantly higher values of body weight, skin-fold thickness, body surface area and obesity index than the students. Both systolic and diastolic pressures of the Buddhist nuns and students were similar. Serum levels of total lipid, cholesterol and proteins in the Buddhist nuns were not different from those of the students. However, when comparing the levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions, the Buddhist nuns had lower level of HDL but significantly higher LDL levels than the students. Furthermore, the Buddhist nuns had significantly lower levels of serum HDL-cholesterol but significantly higher LDL-cholesterol levels. There were significant correlations between LDL and LDL cholesterol (r=0.40), VLDL and VLDL-cholesterol(r=0.85), HDL and HDL-cholesterol(r=0.45), total serum lipid and total cholesterol (r=0.66) and total serum cholesterol and LDL(r=0.79). On the other hand, values of both serum total protein, and fractions of serum proteins were similar in the Buddhist nuns and students(ratio of albumin: ${\alpha}_{1}-:\;{\alpha}_{2}-:\;{\beta}-:\;{\gamma}-$globulins=55:3:10:13:19). Hematocrit and hemogloblin levels were similar in the Buddhist nuns and students. Above results suggest that vegetarian diets of the Buddhist nuns produced alterations in the metabolism of the lipoproteins and cholesterol.