title: A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich pecan-enriched diet favorably alters the serum lipid profile of healthy men and women.
abstract: Frequent consumption of nuts is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of pecans rich in monounsaturated fat as an alternative to the Step 1 diet in modifying serum lipids and lipoproteins in men and women with normal to moderately high serum cholesterol. In a single-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover feeding study, we assigned 23 subjects (mean age: 38 y; 9 women, 14 men) to follow two diets, each for 4 wk: a Step I diet and a pecan-enriched diet (accomplished by proportionately reducing all food items in a Step I diet by one fifth for a 20% isoenergetic replacement with pecans). The percentage of energy from fat in the two diets was 28.3 and 39.6%, respectively. Both diets improved the lipid profile; however, the pecan-enriched diet decreased both serum total and LDL cholesterol by 0.32 mmol/L (6.7 and 10.4%, respectively) and triglyceride by 0.14 mmol/L (11.1%) beyond the Step I diet, while increasing HDL cholesterol by 0.06 mmol/L (2.5 mg/dL). Serum apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) decreased by 11.6 and 11.1%, respectively, and apolipoprotein A1 increased by 2.2% when subjects consumed the pecan compared with the Step I diet. These differences were all significant (P < 0.05). A 20% isoenergetic replacement of a Step I diet with pecans favorably altered the serum lipid profile beyond the Step I diet, without increasing body weight. Nuts such as pecans that are rich in monounsaturated fat may therefore be recommended as part of prescribed cholesterol-lowering diet of patients or habitual diet of healthy individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajaram
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Myint
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sabaté
mesh_terms: D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004032:Diet; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009754:Nuts; D012016:Reference Values; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins