The effect of dietary palm oil, hydrogenated rape and soya oil on indices of coronary heart disease risk in healthy Scottish volunteers

Effects of three highly saturated fat diets containing either palm fat (RBD PO), hydrogenated soya fat (HSO) or hydrogenated rapeseed fat (HRSO), on sh ort-term indicators of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in healthy Scottis h volunteers were compared. "Free living" subjects (53) were randomly assig ned to one of three experimental diets or the "wild" habitual diet group fo r eight week periods. Fasting blood samples were collected at week 0 (basel ine) and at two week intervals. Plasma lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerid es and indices of lipid peroxidation were assessed. RBDPO diets increased p lasma total-, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol (i.e. both beneficial and detrimenta l effects); HRSO and HSO diets decreased total- and HDL-cholesterol. Change s in cholesterol in 'wild' volunteers were similar (0.4m.mol./L) to those i n experimental groups (0.4-0.5m.mol./L) with similar absolute values. Plasm a triglycerides were reduced after four weeks RBDPO but not HSO or HRSO; va lues in the "wild" group did not differ from baseline or from other groups. RBDPO reduced indices of lipid peroxidation. HSO increased whole-blood agg regation and plasma conjugated dienes (CD). Physiological relevance of such small changes in indices of CHD risk elicited by the saturated diets are q uestionable. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.