EFFECTS OF DIETS RICH IN MONOUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS ON PLASMA-LIPOPROTEINS - THE JERUSALEM NUTRITION STUDY - MONOUNSATURATED VS SATURATED FATTY-ACIDS

Thirty-four male Yeshiva students were randomly allocated to a crossov er study with two 12-week periods of diets enriched with either monoun saturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or saturated fatty acids (SFAs), while t he concentrations of total fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids were ke pt similar. Total plasma cholesterol (TC) decreased significantly by 7 %-8% and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 10%-15% on the MUFA diet, whereas TC and LDL-C increased on the SFA diet. Concentrat ions of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) responded variabl y; there was no change in the first dietary period bur a decrease was noted in the second irrespective of the diet. The tendency to lipoprot ein peroxidation of plasma and LDL lipids was greater on the SFA diet (p<0.05 and p<0.005, respectively). A summary of the Jerusalem Nutriti on Stony comprising over 66 participants on a diet enriched with olive oil, avocado and almonds showed that such a diet consistently reduced TC and LDL-C in normolipidemic subjects compared to a house diet and had the lowest oxidative capacity even when compared to the SFA or car bohydrate-rich diet. Whether the latter effects were due to dietary MU FAs or other constituents of the the diet is discussed.