Journal Name:
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Article Title:
Effects of dietary fatty acids on the composition & oxidizaility of low-density lipoprotein

Date Written:
2002

Volume:
56

Number:

Page:
72

Author(s):
Kratz, M.; Cullen, P.; Kannenberg, F.; Kassner, A.; Fobker, M.; Abuja, PM>; Assmann, G.; Wahrburg, U.

Article:
Growing evidence from various studies suggests that oxidative modification of plasma LDL enhances their atherogenic properties in several ways. Human and animal studies have shown that a diet rich in PUFAs increases the susceptibility of plasma LDL to oxidation compared with a diet high in MUFAs. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on LDL composition and oxidizability.

Fifty-eight healthy young volunteers received a 2-week wash-in diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA) followed by diets rich in refined olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil for 4 weeks. Intakes of vitamin E and other antioxidants did not differ significantly between the diets.

At the end of the study, LDL oxidizability was lowest in the olive oil group (lag time: 72.6 min), intermediate in the rapeseed oil group (68.2 min) and highest in the sunflower oil group (60.4 min, P<0.05 for comparison of all three groups). Despite wide variations in SFA intake, the SFA content of LDL was not statistically different between the four diets (25.8?28.5% of LDL fatty acids). By contrast, the PUFA (43.5%?60.5% of LDL fatty acids) and MUFA content of LDL (13.7?29.1% of LDL fatty acids) showed a wider variability dependent on diet.

Enrichment of LDL with MUFA reduces LDL susceptibility to oxidation. As seen on the rapeseed oil diet this effect is independent of a displacement of higher unsaturated fatty acids from LDL. Evidence from this diet also suggests that highly unsaturated n-3 fatty acids (ALA found in the rapeseed/canola oil) in moderate amounts do not increase LDL oxidizability when provided in the context of a diet rich in MUFA. These findings suggest that oleic acid can be a suitable option as an energy source when replacing SFA in the diet and support the use of canola oil in heart healthy diets due to its high oleic acid and low SFA content.,

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