American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 8, 325-326, Copyright © 1960 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

The Effect of Safflower Oil on the Nature of Serum Cholesterol Esters

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and the Surgical Service, Veterans Administration Center, Los Angeles, California

A decrease in serum cholesterol levels was achieved in half the patients receiving the safflower oil supplements. In these patients, a return to unsupplemented hospital rations was accompanied by an increase in the serum cholesterol level. Attempts to correlate this decrease in serum cholesterol level with an increase in unsaturation of the cholesterol ester fatty acids were unsuccessful in that the iodine value of the fatty acids was increased after safflower oil supplementation even when the serum cholesterol levels were unaffected (Table I). It is possible that a longer experimental period with larger supplements of safflower oil might have showed more positive results. However, a response of 50 per cent is better than would be expected if this were entirely due to chance. It can be concluded that relatively small amounts of safflower oil, when supplemented to an ordinary diet, are effective in decreasing serum cholesterol levels in some persons in relatively short periods of time. Whether a positive response to this therapy is dependent on the essential fatty acid stores and/or requirement of a patient has not been shown in this investigation.