The Influence of Chain Length of the Saturated Fatty Acids on Their Effect on Serum Cholesterol Concentration in Man

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Abstract
The influence of the carbon chain length of the saturated fatty acids of dietary fats on their effect on serum cholesterol concentration was studied in two controlled experiments. In each experiment two groups of physically healthy middle aged men ate two diets containing approximately 3000 Cal. and 140 gm of total fat. The fats of the two diets were similar as to the proportion of saturated, monoene, and polyene fatty acids but one of the diets (12C) had about 40 gm more of lauric and myristic acids than the other, whereas the second diet (18C) had about 40 gm more of palmitic and stearic acids than the first. The diets were fed alternately for periods of three weeks to all the men and blood samples taken on two days at the end of each dietary period. The results of 50 comparisons between the diets showed that diet 12C, containing a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids of 12 and 14 carbon atoms, produced a serum cholesterol concentration higher by 8 mg per 100 ml than diet 18C.