FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF SERUM-CHOLESTEROL ESTERS, AND ERYTHROCYTE AND PLATELET MEMBRANES AS INDICATORS OF LONG-TERM ADHERENCE TO FAT-MODIFIED DIETS

Dietary adherence to four different fat-modified diets was examined in 160 subjects by determining the fatty acid composition of serum chole sterol esters (CEs) and erythrocyte (ER) and platelet (PT) membranes i n addition to food records. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the following diet groups: 1) high-sat-35/14:10:4 (% of energy from to tal/ saturated:monounsaturated:polyunsaturated fatty acids in the actu al diet) 2) AHA (American Heart Association) type-32/ 10:8:8 3) monoen e-enriched-34/1 1:11:5, or 4) low-fat--30/ 12:8:3 for 6 mo. Decreases in the proportions of palmitic acid in CEs were found in the AHA-type and monoene-enriched-diet groups. An increased proportion of linoleic acid in CEs was found in the AHA-type group. The differences in the pr oportions of palmitic acid in CEs and linoleic and palmitoleic acids i n PTs were significant in the AHA-type and monoene-enriched-diet group s compared with the high-sat group. An increase in cu-linolenic acid i n CEs was an indicator of the use of low erucic acid rapeseed oil, whi ch was the main source of monoenes in the monoene-enriched-diet group.