American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 15, 358-364, Copyright © 1964 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Plasma Lipids, Glucose and Ketones in Young Children on a High Fat Diet

¹ From the Section on Child Neurology, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Plasma levels of partitioned lipids, glucose and ketone bodies were studied in ten children on a normal and a high fat (animal) diet. The high fat diet (about 87 per cent of total calories) was given for the treatment of epilepsy. The average values for the total lipids, total cholesterol and total ketones in the plasma of these children increased significantly (P < 0.01) by the tenth day of the high fat diet as compared to the values when they were fed normal diet. The increase in plasma phospholipids and triglycerides was less striking (P < 0.05); the total and free fatty acids did not change although this might have been related to the high individual variations. Plasma glucose levels were consistently lower (P < 0.05) when the children were fed the high fat diet. Consecutive values of lipid constituents, glucose and ketone bodies in the plasma of a patient maintained on high fat diet for nine months are presented in tabulated form. Plasma lipid values obtained in the children while they were on a normal diet were compared with those in normal adults and with those obtained by other investigators.