High-monounsaturated fatty acid diets lower both plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations.
BACKGROUND
Low-fat diets increase plasma triacylglycerol and decrease HDL-cholesterol concentrations, thereby potentially adversely affecting cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. High-monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), cholesterol-lowering diets do not raise triacylglycerol or lower HDL cholesterol, but little is known about how peanut products, a rich source of MUFAs, affect CVD risk.


OBJECTIVE
The present study compared the CVD risk profile of an Average American diet (AAD) with those of 4 cholesterol-lowering diets: an American Heart Association/National Cholesterol Education Program Step II diet and 3 high-MUFA diets [olive oil (OO), peanut oil (PO), and peanuts and peanut butter (PPB)].


METHODS
A randomized, double-blind, 5-period crossover study design (n = 22) was used to examine the effects of the diets on serum lipids and lipoproteins: AAD [34% fat; 16% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 11% MUFAs], Step II (25% fat; 7% SFAs, 12% MUFAs), OO (34% fat; 7% SFAs, 21% MUFAs), PO (34% fat; 7% SFAs, 17% MUFAs), and PPB (36% fat; 8% SFAs, 18% MUFAs).


RESULTS
The high-MUFA diets lowered total cholesterol by 10% and LDL cholesterol by 14%. This response was comparable with that observed for the Step II diet. Triacylglycerol concentrations were 13% lower in subjects consuming the high-MUFA diets and were 11% higher with the Step II diet than with the AAD. The high-MUFA diets did not lower HDL cholesterol whereas the Step II diet lowered it by 4% compared with the AAD. The OO, PO, and PPB diets decreased CVD risk by an estimated 25%, 16%, and 21%, respectively, whereas the Step II diet lowered CVD risk by 12%.


CONCLUSIONS
A high-MUFA, cholesterol-lowering diet may be preferable to a low-fat diet because of more favorable effects on the CVD risk profile.
Kris-Etherton
P M
PM
Graduate Program in Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. pmk3@psu.edu
Pearson
T A
TA
Wan
Y
Y
Hargrove
R L
RL
Moriarty
K
K
Fishell
V
V
Etherton
T D
TD
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000074241:Peanut Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D000074241:Peanut Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D014280:Triglycerides