Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

Difference in effect of myristic and stearic acid on plasma HDL cholesterol within 24 h in young men

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 57, pages 735–742 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Background: There is increasing evidence that postprandial triacylglycerol (TAG)-rich lipoproteins (TRL) may be related to atherogenic risk. Little is known about the acute effect of individual dietary saturated fatty acids on plasma lipids and lipoproteins.

Objective: To investigate the effect of two prevalent dietary saturated fatty acids, stearic and myristic acid on postprandial and 24 h fasting plasma lipoprotein TAG and cholesterol concentrations.

Design: Ten young healthy men were served two meals (1.2 g fat/kg body weight) containing fat enriched in either stearic acid (S) (shea butter) or myristic acid (M) (produced by inter-esterification) in a randomised, cross-over study. The meals were given in the morning after 12 h of fasting and again after 8 h (in the afternoon). The S and M containing meals were given at different days separated by a washout period. Blood samples were taken before the meal and 2,4,6,8, and 24 h after the first meal.

Results: The M meal resulted in a higher postprandial HDL TAG response than S (P=0.03 I), (diet × time interaction), while no differences were observed in other lipid fractions. Twenty-four hours after the M meal fasting, HDL cholesterol was higher (P=0.05) and HDL TAG lower (P<0.001) than at baseline.

Conclusions: Intake of individual dietary SFA may affect fasting HDL cholesterol within 24 h. Thus after this short period HDL cholesterol concentration was higher after myristic acid than stearic acid. Myristic acid resulted in a higher increase in postprandial HDL TAG than stearic acid.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bergeron N & Havel RJ (1997): Assessment of postprandial lipemia: nutritional influences. Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 8, 43–52.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berner LA (1993): Roundtable discussion on milkfat, dairy foods, and coronary heart disease risk. J. Nutr. 123, 1175–1184.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boberg M, Vessby B & Croon L-B (1985): Fatty acid composition of platelets and of plasma lipid esters in relation to platelet function in patients with ischaemic heart disease. Atherosclerosis 58, 49–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonanome A, Bennet M & Grundy SM (1992): Metabolic effects of dietary stearic acid in mice: changes in the fatty acid composition of triglycerides and phospholipids in various tissues. Atherosclerosis 94, 119–127.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonanome A & Grundy SM (1988): Effect of dietary stearic acid on plasma cholesterol and lipoprotein levels. N. Engl. J. Med. 319, 1244–1248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracco U (1994): Effect of triglyceride structure on fat absorption. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 60(Suppl), 1002S–1009S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castro GR & Fielding CJ (1985): Effects of postprandial lipemia on plasma cholesterol metabolism. J. Clin. Invest. 75, 874–882.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohn JS, McNamara JR, Cohn SD, Ordovas JM & Schaefer EJ (1988): Postprandial plasma lipoprotein changes in human subjects of different ages. J. Lipid Res. 29, 469–479.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dole VP & Hamlin JT (1962): Particulate fat in pymph and blood. Physiol. Rev. 42, 674–701.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dubois C, Armand M, Azais-Braesco V, Portugal H, Pauli A-M, Bernard P-M, Large C, Lafont H, Borel P & Lairon D (1994): Effects of moderate amounts of emulsified dietary fat on postprandial lipemia and lipoproteins in normolipidemic adults. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 60, 374–382.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Föger B, Ritsch A, Doblinger A, Wessels H & Patsch JR (1996): Relationship of plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein to HDL cholesterol. Studies in normotriglyceridemia and moderate hypertriglyceridemia. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 16, 1430–1436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grande F, Anderson JT, Chlouver C, Proja M & Keys A (1965): Effect of dietary cholesterol on mans serum lipids. J. Nutr. 87, 52–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havel R (1994): McCollum Award Lecture, 1993: triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and atherosclerosis—new perspectives. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 59, 795–799.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havel RJ (1997): Postprandial lipid metabolism: an overview. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 56, 659–666.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones AE, Stolinski M, Smith RD, Murphy LL & Wootton SA (1999): Effect of fatty acid chain length and saturation on the gastrointestinal handling and metabolic disposal of dietary fatty acids in women. Br. J. Nutr. 81, 37–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karpe F (1997): Postprandial lipid metabolism in relation to coronary heart disease. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 56, 671–678.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karpe F, Bell M, Bjorkegren J & Hamsten A (1995): Quantification of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in healthy men by retinyl ester labeling and simultaneous measurement of apolipoproteins B-48 and B-100. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 15, 199–207.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kostner GM, Molinari E & Pichler P (1985): Evaluation of a new HDL2/HDL3 quantitation method based on precipitation with polyethylene glycol. Clin Chim. Acta. 148, 139–147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leyton J, Drury PJ & Crawford MA (1987): Differental oxidation of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in vivo in the rat. Br. J. Nutr. 57, 383–393.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muesing RA, Griffin P & Mitchell P (1995): Corn oil and beef tallow elicit different postprandial responses in triglycerides and cholesterol, but similar changes in constituents of high-density lipoprotein. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 14, 53–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patsch JR, Miesenböck G, Hopferwieser T, Mühlberger V, Knapp E, Dunn JK, Gotto Jr AM & Patsch W (1992): Relation of triglyceride metabolism and coronary artery disease. Studies in the postprandial state. Arterioscler. Thromb. 12, 1336–1345.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patsch JR, Prasad S, Gotto Jr AM & Patsch W (1987): High density lipoprotein. Relationship of the plasma levels of this lipoprotein species to its composition, to the magnitude of postprandial lipemia, and to the activities of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase. J. Clin. Invest. 80, 341–347.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders TAB, Miller GJ, Grassi TD & Yahia N (1996): Postprandial activation of coagulant factor VII by long-chain dietary fatty acids. Thromb. Haemost. 76, 369–371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tholstrup T, Andreasen K & Sandstrom B (1996): Acute effect of high-fat meals rich in either stearic or myristic acid on hemostatic factors in healthy young men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 64, 168–176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tholstrup T, Marckmann P, Jespersen J & Sandström B (1994a): Fat high in stearic acid favorably affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in comparison with fats high in palmitic acid or high in myristic and lauric acids. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 59, 371–377.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tholstrup T, Marckmann P, Jespersen J, Vessby B, Jart Aa & Sandström B (1994b): Effect on blood lipids, coagulation and fibrinolysis of a fat high in myristic acid and a fat high in palmitic acid. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 60, 919–925.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tholstrup T, Sandström B, Bysted A & Holmer G (2001): Effect of six dietary fatty acids on postpandial lipid profile, plasma free fatty acids, lipoprotein lipase and cholesterol ester transfer activities in healthy young men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 73, 198–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tholstrup T, Sandström B, Hermansen JE & Hølmer G (1998): Effect of modified dairy fat on postprandial and fasting plasma lipids and lipoproteins in healthy young men. Lipids 33, 11–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ulbricht TLV & Southgate DAT (1991): Coronary heart disease: seven dietary factors. Lancet 338, 985–992.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zock PL, Vries JHMD & Katan MB (1994): Impact of myristic acid versus palmitic acid on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in healthy women and men. Arterioscler. Thromb. 14, 567–575.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank our technician, Klara Jorgensen and especially her Swedish colleague, Siv Tengblad from the Department of Geriatrics, Uppsala University, for the many fatty acid analyses, dietitian Hanne Jensen, Berit Christensen and the other staff of the metabolic kitchen for their excellent contribution.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Department of Human Nutrition, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    T Tholstrup & B Sandstrom

  2. Department of Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Sweden

    B Vessby

Authors
  1. T Tholstrup
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B Vessby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B Sandstrom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Supported by the Danish Agricultural Ministry Grant #RAA92-KVLS, by the Danish Agricultural and Veterinary Research Council and by the Danish Technical Research Council.

Contributors: Project Design: TT; BV and BS Carrying out the project: TT. Analysis of blood samples: TT and BV. Interpretation: TT, BV and BS.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T Tholstrup.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tholstrup, T., Vessby, B. & Sandstrom, B. Difference in effect of myristic and stearic acid on plasma HDL cholesterol within 24 h in young men. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 735–742 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601605

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601605

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links