PLANT STEROLS, DEGREE OF UNSATURATION, AND HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC ACTION OF CERTAIN FATS

Abstract

Dietary experiments in which food was supplied in the form of a homogeneous liquid formula ration of definitely known composition have been performed on 171 subjects (159 men and 12 women, university students).During an initial period of 8 days all subjects ate the same ration and then groups of 8 to 12 individuals were given rations varying in respect of the fat moiety for a further 8 days. Plasma cholesterol analyses were performed at day 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16.The results obtained were interpreted as indicating that: firstly, there is no simple relationship between the hypocholesterolemic effect of an oil and degree of unsaturation; secondly, sitosterol or something closely associated with this sterol in the unsaponifiable matter accounts for a large part of the hypocholesterolemic activity of corn oil; and thirdly, certain fatty acids of short chain length or some other substance in butterfat and coconut oil have a hypercholesterolemic effect.