COMPARISON OF PALMOLEIN AND OLIVE OIL - EFFECTS ON PLASMA-LIPIDS AND VITAMIN-E IN YOUNG-ADULTS

Twenty-one healthy normocholesterolemic young adults, men and women, c ompleted a randomized 30-d/30-d crossover comparison of the effect of palmolein and olive oil on plasma lipids. The subjects were free-livin g volunteers who changed to low-fat diets to which one of the test oil s was added (used as a spread, for baking, or for frying) in turn. Com plete food records were kept throughout: the test oils were compared a t 17% of total dietary energy. Under the conditions of this experiment plasma total and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were almos t identical with the two oils, so that when the palmitic acid (16:0) i n palm oil replaced oleic acid (18:1) in olive oil the expected increa se in LDL cholesterol was not seen. These results indicate that 16:0, though saturated, is not always a plasma cholesterol-raising fatty aci d. Palmolein is rich in vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, and especially to cotrienols, but the latter were barely detectable in plasma.