American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 10, 484-499, Copyright © 1962 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

The Influence of Diet on Serum Lipids in South African White and Bantu Prisoners

¹ From the Ernest Oppenheimer Heart Research Unit, South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg, South Africa

In white and Bantu prisoners on a prison diet similar to that consumed by the urban South African Bantu population (approximately 15 per cent fat calories), serum lipid patterns were very similar, and corresponded to that of the urban Bantu population. On the high fat (approximately 40 per cent) calorie diets of the white population, serum lipid patterns of both races were again similar but resembled that of the white population. These patterns were maintained throughout the whole period of the long-term dietary change, and varied only when the diets were changed again.

The absolute concentration of lipids in serum and in the beta-lipoproteins, as well as the proportion of these lipids in the latter, was significantly influenced both by the type and the amount of the dietary fat calories.

Cholesterol:phospholipid ratios were altered significantly by the amount of fat calories in the diet. After the subjects had been on the high fat calorie diets for one and a half years, irrespective of the nature of the dietary fat, serum cholesterol:phospholipid and beta-lipoprotein cholesterol:phospholipid ratios had risen significantly. Dietary fats which raised the cholesterol level led to a smaller rise in the phospholipid level, while oils which lowered the cholesterol level, produced a more pronounced lowering of the phospholipid level.

The fatty acid composition of the serum triglycerides, cholesteryl esters and phospholipids was significantly influenced by the nature of the fat in the diet.

On isocaloric diets the serum concentration of cholesterol esterified with polyenoic fatty acids appeared to remain constant for an individual irrespective of the nature or proportion of the dietary fat calories.

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