The Serum LDL/HDL Cholesterol Ratio Is Influenced More Favorably by Exchanging Saturated with Unsaturated Fat Than by Reducing Saturated Fat in the Diet of Women

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 133; no. 1; pp. 78 - 83
• Main Authors: Müller, Hanne, Lindman, Anja S., Brantsæter, Anne Lise, Pedersen, Jan I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.01.2003; American Society for Nutritional Sciences; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: Adult; apolipoprotein A-I; apolipoprotein B; Biological and medical sciences; carbohydrates; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; coconut oil; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Energy Intake - drug effects; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids - pharmacology; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - pharmacology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; high density lipoprotein cholesterol; high fat diet; Humans; lauric acid; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; low fat diet; Metabolism; myristic acid; Nutrition; polyunsaturated fatty acids; saturated fatty acids; triacylglycerols; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; very low density lipoprotein; women; Apo; AAD; LSAFA diet; E; PUFA; SAFA margarine; apolipoprotein A-I; coconut oil; HUFA margarine; myristic acid; P/S; HSAFA diet; HUFA diet; lauric acid; apolipoprotein B; BMI; Human; Lauric acid; lauric acid myristic acid; Apolipoprotein AI; Lipids; Cholesterol LDL; Vegetable oil; Edible oil; Feeding; Apolipoprotein B; Lipemia; Coconut oil; Myristic acid; Diet; Saturated fatty acid; Cholesterol HDL; Unsaturated fatty acid; Female; Macronutrient; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/133.1.78

We compared the effects of a high fat diet [38.4% of energy (E%) from fat; HSAFA diet, polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio = 0.14], a low fat diet (19.7 E% from fat; LSAFA diet, P/S = 0.17), both based on coconut oil, and a diet with a high content of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; 38.2 E% from fat; HUFA diet, P/S = 1.9) on serum lipoproteins. The 25 women studied consumed each diet for 3-wk periods in a crossover design. The two high fat diets were identical except for the quality of the test fat. The LSAFA diet was identical to the HSAFA diet except that half the fat was replaced by carbohydrates. Serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apoB concentrations did not differ between the HSAFA and the LSAFA diet periods. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apoB were lower when women consumed the HUFA diet than when they consumed the other two diets. HDL cholesterol and apoA-I were 15 and 11%, respectively, higher when women consumed the HSAFA diet than when they consumed the LSAFA diet; HDL cholesterol and apoA-I were lower when women consumed the HUFA diet than when they consumed the HSAFA diet, but not the LSAFA diet. The LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and apoB/apoA-I ratios were higher when women consumed the LSAFA diet than when they consumed the HSAFA diet. The LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio was higher when women consumed either the LSAFA or the HSAFA diet than when they consumed the HUFA diet, whereas apoB/apoA-I was higher when women consumed the LSAFA diet than when they consumed the HUFA diet. Triacylglycerol and VLDL cholesterol were higher when women consumed the LSAFA diet than when they consumed either the HSAFA or the HUFA diet. We conclude that, to influence the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, changing the proportions of dietary fatty acids may be more important than restricting the percentage of total or saturated fat energy, at least when derived mainly from lauric and myristic acids, both of which increase HDL cholesterol.