title: Exchanging a few commercial, regularly consumed food items with improved fat quality reduces total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol: a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.
abstract: The healthy Nordic diet has been previously shown to have health beneficial effects among subjects at risk of CVD. However, the extent of food changes needed to achieve these effects is less explored. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of exchanging a few commercially available, regularly consumed key food items (e.g. spread on bread, fat for cooking, cheese, bread and cereals) with improved fat quality on total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and inflammatory markers in a double-blind randomised, controlled trial. In total, 115 moderately hypercholesterolaemic, non-statin-treated adults (25-70 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental diet group (Ex-diet group) or control diet group (C-diet group) for 8 weeks with commercially available food items with different fatty acid composition (replacing SFA with mostly n-6 PUFA). In the Ex-diet group, serum total cholesterol (P<0·001) and LDL-cholesterol (P<0·001) were reduced after 8 weeks, compared with the C-diet group. The difference in change between the two groups at the end of the study was -9 and -11 % in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, respectively. No difference in change in plasma levels of inflammatory markers (high-sensitive C-reactive protein, IL-6, soluble TNF receptor 1 and interferon-γ) was observed between the groups. In conclusion, exchanging a few regularly consumed food items with improved fat quality reduces total cholesterol, with no negative effect on levels of inflammatory markers. This shows that an exchange of a few commercially available food items was easy and manageable and led to clinically relevant cholesterol reduction, potentially affecting future CVD risk.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Stine M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ulven
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nutrition,Institute for Basic Medical Sciences,University of Oslo,PO Box 1046,0317 Blindern,Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leder
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elind
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ottestad
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Jacob J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: 3Mills DA,PO Box 4644 Sofienberg,0506 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Vibeke H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Telle-Hansen
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Anne J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Skjetne
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raael
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Navida A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holck
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences,Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences,PO Box 4,St. Olavsplass,0130 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torvik
authors.affiliation: 3Mills DA,PO Box 4644 Sofienberg,0506 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamglait
authors.affiliation: 3Mills DA,PO Box 4644 Sofienberg,0506 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thyholt
authors.affiliation: 3Mills DA,PO Box 4644 Sofienberg,0506 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Marte G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Byfuglien
authors.affiliation: 3Mills DA,PO Box 4644 Sofienberg,0506 Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Granlund
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nutrition,Institute for Basic Medical Sciences,University of Oslo,PO Box 1046,0317 Blindern,Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Lene F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nutrition,Institute for Basic Medical Sciences,University of Oslo,PO Box 1046,0317 Blindern,Oslo,Norway.
authors.forename: Kirsten B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Holven
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D063427:Food Quality; D019648:Foods, Specialized / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords:  AA arachidonic acid;  C-diet group control diet group;  E% % energy;  Ex-diet group experimental diet group;  LA linoleic acid; Cardiovascular risk factors; Fatty acids; Food intake; Inflammation; Lipoproteins; Nutrition