DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF PALMITIC AND STEARIC ACID-ENRICHED DIETS ON SERUM-LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS AND PLASMA CHOLESTERYL ESTER TRANSFER PROTEIN-ACTIVITY IN HEALTHY-YOUNG WOMEN

The effects of palmitic and stearic acid-enriched diets on serum lipid s, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins (ape) A-I and B, and plasma cholester yl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity were examined in 12 healthy young women. Subjects followed the two experimental diets for 4 weeks according to a randomized crossover design. Both experimental diet per iods were preceded by consumption of a baseline diet for 2 weeks. The diets provided 37% of total energy intake (E%) as fat, and differed on ly with respect to fatty acid composition. There was a substitution of 5E% of palmitic acid or stearic acid in the experimental diets for 5E % of monounsaturated fatty acids in the baseline diet. After the palmi tic acid diet, serum total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) choleste rol and apo A-I concentrations were higher (8%, P = .015, 9%, P = .040 , and 11%, P = .011, respectively) and mean serum low density lipoprot ein (LDL) cholesterol concentration tended to be higher (8%, P = .077) as compared with values after the stearic acid diet. Plasma CETP acti vity increased in the palmitic acid diet as compared with the stearic acid diet (12%, P = .006). In conclusion, palmitic acid and stearic ac id-enriched diets had different effects on serum lipids and lipoprotei ns and also on plasma CETP activity in young healthy women. (C) 1996 b y W.B. Saunders Company