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Lipid Benefits With Monounsaturated-Fatty-Acids Diet In Healthy People

Moderate substitution of saturated fatty acids with monounsaturated fatty acids has beneficial effects on lipid metabolism in healthy individuals.

This was a key finding of a study by Dr AA Rivellese and colleagues of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.

The study was carried out on 162 people who were randomly assigned to follow one of two isoenergetic diets: one rich in saturated fatty acids, and the other in monounsaturated fatty acids. The groups were further randomised to receive supplementation with 3.6 g/day fish oil (n-3 fatty acids) or placebo.

It was found that the monounsaturated diet significantly reduced LDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol compared with the saturated fatty acid diet. In addition, VLDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol were significantly reduced and LDL cholesterol significantly increased by fish-oil supplementation.

Plasma triacylglycerol was significantly lower in those taking n-3 fatty acids 1 and 3 hours after a test-meal, as well. Neither of the diets or the fish-oil supplementation affected the size of LDL.

With respect to fish-oil supplementation, the researchers said, " A moderate supplementation of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in healthy individuals reduces both fasting and post-prandial triacylglycerol concentrations but increases LDL cholesterol, irrespective of the type of diet."
Atherosclerosis 2003;167:1:149-58. "Effects of dietary saturated, monounsaturated and n-3 fatty acids on fasting lipoproteins, LDL size and post-prandial lipid metabolism in healthy subjects"

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