title: Animal source food intake and association with blood cholesterol, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids in a northern Swedish population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The high intake of game meat in populations with a subsistence-based diet may affect their blood lipids and health status.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between diet and circulating levels of blood lipid levels in a northern Swedish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared a group with traditional lifestyle (TLS) based on reindeer herding (TLS group) with those from the same area with a non-traditional lifestyle (NTLS) typical of more industrialized regions of Sweden (NTLS group). The analysis was based on self-reported intake of animal source food (i.e. non-game meat, game meat, fish, dairy products and eggs) and the serum blood level of a number of lipids [total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG), glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids].
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TLS group had higher cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels than the reference group. Of the TLS group, 65% had cholesterol levels above the threshold for increased risk of coronary heart disease (≥ 240 mg/dl), as compared to 38% of the NTLS group. Self-reported consumption of game meat was positively associated with TC and LDL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high game meat consumption of the TLS group is associated with increased cholesterol levels. High intake of animal protein and fat and low fibre is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but other studies of the TLS in northern Sweden have shown comparable incidences of cardiovascular disease to the reference (NTLS) group from the same geographical area. This indicates that factors other than TC influence disease risk. One such possible factor is dietary phospholipids, which are also found in high amounts specifically in game meat and have been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Wilmar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Igl
authors.forename: Afaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamal-Eldin
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liebisch
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gnewuch
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gyllensten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012307:Risk Factors; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000097:blood*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D013107:Sphingolipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: animal source foods; cholesterol; epidemiology; game; lipids; nutrition; phospholipids; sphingolipids