Role of Fat and Fatty Acid in Absorption of Dietary Cholesterol

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Abstract
Cholesterol-free diets containing soybean oil hydrogenated to varying degrees were fed to rats. It was found that the level of the blood cholesterol varied with the I2 number of the fat and that the highest degree of unsaturation produced the highest blood cholesterol level. Free fatty acids were found to be more effective in raising the blood cholesterol level than neutral fats. The differences observed between the various fats and fatty acids may be related to the in vitro observations which showed that cholesterol is esterified more rapidly with fatty acids than with neutral fat in the pancreatic cholesterol esterase system. Fat need not be present in the diet for the absorption of dietary cholesterol, provided a sufficient amount of bile salts are present; the fatty acid necessary for esterification can come from endogenous sources. It is suggested that dietary fat serves a dual purpose by stimulating the flow of bile necessary for cholesterol esterase activity and providing the fatty acid necessary for cholesterol esterification.

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