PLASMA CHOLESTEROL-PREDICTIVE EQUATIONS DEMONSTRATE THAT STEARIC-ACIDIS NEUTRAL AND MONOUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS ARE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC

In the present study we used regression analyses to evaluate the effec ts of stearic acid (18:0) on total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipop rotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol ( HDL-C) concentrations (mmol/L). Using data from 18 articles, we develo ped the following predictive equations (monounsaturated fatty acids, M UFAs; polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFAs): Delta TC = 0.0522 Delta 12: 0-16:0 - 0.0008 Delta 18:0 - 0.0124 Delta MUFA - 0.0248 Delta PUFA; De lta LDL-C = 0.0378 Delta 12:0-16:0 + 0.0018 Delta 18:0 - 0.0178 Delta MUFA - 0.0248 Delta PUFA; Delta HDL-C = 0.0160 Delta 12:0-16:0 - 0.001 6 Delta 18:0 + 0.0101 Delta MUFA + 0.0062 Delta PUFA. Our analyses rev ealed that unlike the other long-chain saturated fatty acids (SFAs), s tearic acid had no effect on TC and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrat ions in men and women. MUFAs elicited an independent hypocholesterolem ic effect that we believe is due to the small amount of 12:0-16:0 in t he experimental diets evaluated. The observation that stearic acid has unique effects on TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C provides additional compelling evidence that it be distinguished from the other major SFAs in blood cholesterol predictive equations.