A joint study in South Korea and the United States has proven the effectiveness of a Korean diet in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risks of contracting related health issues such as diabetes and cardiac disorders, a report showed Thursday.

According to the report from the Rural Development Administration, the joint research with the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that a Korean diet, or Hansik in Korean, was even more effective than the USDA dietary guidelines for Americans (DGA) in lowering cholesterol levels.

The study was conducted between 2009 and 2012 on 29 non-Asian-American citizens, who were broken into five different groups. Each group was given one of three types of meals ― either a Korean, a USDA-recommended or an ordinary American meal ― for 25 days before switching to a different type of diet to see if there was a change to their cholesterol levels. (Yonhap News)