REPLACEMENT OF LINOLEIC-ACID WITH ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID DOES NOT ALTERBLOOD-LIPIDS IN NORMOLIPIDEMIC MEN

The effect of partial dietary replacement of linoleic acid (18:2n-6; l inoleic acid-rich diet) with alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3; alpha-lino lenic acid-rich diet) on plasma lipids was investigated in twenty-nine healthy young men. After a 2-week stabilization period subjects were randomly assigned to either the alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet group ( n 15), receiving a mean of 10.1 g of alpha-linolenic acid and 12.1 g o f linoleic acid/d, or the linoleic acid-rich diet group (n 14), receiv ing a mean of 1.0 g of alpha-linolenic acid and 21.0 g of linoleic aci d/d, for a 6-week test period. Blood samples were taken at the commenc ement of the stabilization period and at the start (week 0), midpoint (week 3) and endpoint (week 6) of the test period and plasma lipids an alysed. The changes occurring on the linoleic acid-rich diet and alpha -linolenic acid-rich diet were compared but no significant differences in the changes in plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-chol esterol, the subfractions HDL2 and HDL3 or triacylglycerols were found . These results indicate that dietary replacement of linoleic acid wit h alpha-linolenic acid in the diet of healthy male subjects offers sim ilar cardioprotective benefits with respect to lipid metabolism.