ABSTRACT
Dietary saponins have been known for many years to lower plasma cholesterol concentrations in various animal species. Subsequently, a number of workers in this area have proposed that saponin-containing foods might usefully be advised for human consumption for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia — a proposal that has aroused considerable interest and some controversy, with apparently conflicting results appearing in the literature. Saponins have been identified in many hundreds of plant species, but relatively few of these are used as food by humans. Probably because saponins have a reputation for being toxic, there is only one report to date of humans having been given saponins directly. Saponin-containing foods thus could usefully contribute to cholesterol-lowering diets. Plant foods that could best be recommended to hypercholesterolemic patients are chickpeas, the different varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris such as navy beans, lentils, soybeans, and alfalfa or fenugreek sprouts.
