American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 61, 1120-1128, Copyright © 1995 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Effects of diets containing high or low amounts of stearic acid on plasma lipoprotein fractions and fecal fatty acid excretion of men

RM Dougherty, MA Allman and JM Iacono
US Department of Agriculture, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA.

Ten middle-aged males participated in a crossover study to determine the cholesterolemic effect of high amounts of stearic acid in a natural diet. They consumed a 20-d stabilization diet followed by two 40-d intervention diets containing either 1.5% of energy as stearic (18:0) acid and 7.3% of energy as palmitic (16:0) acid (low stearate: LS) or 2.4% of energy as 16:0 and 7.3% of energy as 18:0 (high stearate: HS). The experimental diets also contained approximately 10% of energy each as saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and 7.2-8% of energy as polyunsaturated fatty acids. The primary source of 18:0 in the HS diet was sheanut oil (commercially referred to as shea butter) and palm oil and butter in the LS diet. Plasma total, low-density-lipoprotein, and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower with the HS than with the LS diet. Total fecal fatty acid excretion was higher throughout the HS period. Apparent digestibility of the major dietary fatty acids showed that all of the selected fatty acids, except 18:0, were > or = 95% absorbed. These data demonstrate that feeding diets containing about two times the usual amount of stearic acid consumed in the United States, contributed to an increase in plasma lipoprotein concentrations at 40 d from an earlier decrease at 20 d. The time required to achieve stable cholesterol concentrations appears to vary depending on the kind of saturated fatty acids present in the diet.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. E. Berry, G. J Miller, and T. A. Sanders The solid fat content of stearic acid-rich fats determines their postprandial effects Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2007; 85(6): 1486 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Dworatzek, R. A Hegele, and T. M. Wolever Postprandial lipemia in subjects with the threonine 54 variant of the fatty acid-binding protein 2 gene is dependent on the type of fat ingested Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2004; 79(6): 1110 - 1117. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Perez-Vich, J. Munoz-Ruz, and J. M. Fernandez-Martinez Developing Midstearic Acid Sunflower Lines from a High Stearic Acid Mutant Crop Sci., January 1, 2004; 44(1): 70 - 75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Baer, J. T. Judd, P. M. Kris-Etherton, G. Zhao, and E. A. Emken Stearic Acid Absorption and Its Metabolizable Energy Value Are Minimally Lower than Those of Other Fatty Acids in Healthy Men Fed Mixed Diets J. Nutr., December 1, 2003; 133(12): 4129 - 4134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P Mensink, P. L Zock, A. D. Kester, and M. B Katan Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2003; 77(5): 1146 - 1155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Thomsen, H. Storm, J. J Holst, and K. Hermansen Differential effects of saturated and monounsaturated fats on postprandial lipemia and glucagon-like peptide 1 responses in patients with type 2 diabetes Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2003; 77(3): 605 - 611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M. Treadwell, A. Pronczuk, and K. C. Hayes Glyceride Stearic Acid Content and Structure Affect the Energy Available to Growing Rats J. Nutr., November 1, 2002; 132(11): 3356 - 3362. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Liu, S. Singh, and A. Green High-Oleic and High-Stearic Cottonseed Oils: Nutritionally Improved Cooking Oils Developed Using Gene Silencing J. Am. Coll. Nutr., June 1, 2002; 21(90003): 205S - 211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. V. Gupta and P. Khosla Palmitic and Stearic Acids Similarly Affect Plasma Lipoprotein Metabolism in Cynomolgus Monkeys Fed Diets with Adequate Levels of Linoleic Acid J. Nutr., August 1, 2001; 131(8): 2115 - 2120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. T Phan, B.-C. Mortimer, I. J Martins, and T. G Redgrave Plasma clearance of chylomicrons from butterfat is not dependent on saturation: studies with butterfat fractions and other fats containing triacylglycerols with low or high melting points Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 1999; 69(6): 1151 - 1161. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. V. Rumpler, D. J. Baer, and D. G. Rhodes Energy Available from Corn Oil Is Not Different than that from Beef Tallow in High- or Low-Fiber Diets Fed to Humans J. Nutr., December 1, 1998; 128(12): 2374 - 2382. [Abstract] [Full Text]