Influence of Dietary Protein Level and Amino Acids on Plasma Cholesterol of the Growing Chick

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Abstract
Data were presented which demonstrate a hypocholesterolemic effect for methionine, unrelated to growth, in growing chicks fed diets containing marginal levels of this amino acid. Furthermore, the data show a specific plasma cholesterol depressing effect for dietary protein, unrelated to the methionine effect. Lysine depressed cholesterol levels and stimulated growth only when added to diets deficient in this amino acid. No specific hypocholesterolemic effect was evident for lysine. The addition of methionine to diets adequate in this amino acid did not alter the plasma cholesterol or gain of growing chicks, demonstrating that the methionine effect is only evident in chicks fed diets containing marginal levels of this amino acid. Arginine and tryptophan had no effect on the plasma cholesterol of growing chicks.