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Effects of dietary fatty acids on the composition and oxidizability of low-density lipoprotein

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 72–81 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on LDL composition and oxidizability.

Design, setting and subjects: Sixty-nine healthy young volunteers, students at a nearby college, were included. Six subjects withdrew because of intercurrent illness and five withdrew because they were unable to comply with the dietary regimen.

Interventions: The participants received a 2-week wash-in diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA) followed by diets rich in refined olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil for 4 weeks. Intakes of vitamin E and other antioxidants did not differ significantly between the diets.

Results: At the end of the study, LDL oxidizability was lowest in the olive oil group (lag time: 72.6 min), intermediate in the rapeseed oil group (68.2 min) and highest in the sunflower oil group (60.4 min, P<0.05 for comparison of all three groups). Despite wide variations in SFA intake, the SFA content of LDL was not statistically different between the four diets (25.8–28.5% of LDL fatty acids). By contrast, the PUFA (43.5%–60.5% of LDL fatty acids) and MUFA content of LDL (13.7–29.1% of LDL fatty acids) showed a wider variability dependent on diet.

Conclusions: Enrichment of LDL with MUFA reduces LDL susceptibility to oxidation. As seen on the rapeseed oil diet this effect is independent of a displacement of higher unsaturated fatty acids from LDL. Evidence from this diet also suggests that highly unsaturated n-3 fatty acids in moderate amounts do not increase LDL oxidizability when provided in the context of a diet rich in MUFA.

Sponsorship: This work was supported by the Central Marketing Agency of the German Agricultural Industry (CMA), the German Union for the Promotion of Oil- and Protein Plants (UFOP), the Austrian Science Foundation, project F00709 (to P.M.A.) and the Brökelmann Ölmühle Company, Hamm, Germany.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to B Pieke, B Berning, J Harmsen and particularly W Hanekamp and E Gramenz for excellent technical assistance; to R Schmidt, Dr R Junker and Dr G Bannenberg for performing the venipunctures; to Dr Arnold von Eckardstein for valuable discussion; to M Nestola and J Ackermann at the Bildungszentrum der Bundesfinanzverwaltung for their generous cooperation; to E Ostermann and the Camphill Werkstätten, Steinfurt, for supplying the oil-enriched bread and cake; to M Stennecken and Dr H Schulte for statistical analyses; to the Homann Company, Dissen, Germany, and particularly W Heimhalt for supplying the specially manufactured margarine; and last but not least to the study subjects for participation.

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Author notes

  1. M Kratz: Guarantor: M Kratz.

  2. M Kratz, P Cullen, F Kannenberg, A Kassner, M Fobker, PM Abuja, G Assmann and U Wahrburg: Contributors: MK participated in designing and planning the study, calculated the diets, headed the investigation during the dietary period, measured the parameters of LDL oxidizability and wrote the paper together with PC, who also contributed to designing and planning of the study. FK and AK measured LDL fatty acid composition, MF measured LDL tocopherol levels, PMA contributed to the measurement of the parameters of LDL oxidizability and was involved in designing and planning the study, GA contributed to designing the study and provided the infrastructure, and UW initiated the project.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    M Kratz, P Cullen, F Kannenberg, A Kassner, M Fobker, G Assmann & U Wahrburg

  2. Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    P Cullen, M Fobker & G Assmann

  3. Institute of Biochemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    PM Abuja

  4. University of Applied Sciences, Münster, Germany

    U Wahrburg

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Kratz, M., Cullen, P., Kannenberg, F. et al. Effects of dietary fatty acids on the composition and oxidizability of low-density lipoprotein. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 72–81 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601288

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