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 crossover study with two 12-week periods of diets enriched with either monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or saturated fatty acids (SFAs), while the concentrations of total fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids were kept 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. Concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) responded variably; there was no change in the first dietary period bur a decrease was noted in the second irrespective of the diet. The tendency to lipoprotein 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 Nutrition 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 carbohydrate-rich diet. Whether the latter effects were due to dietary MUFAs or other constituents of the the diet is discussed.