Serum cholesterol, lipoproteins, and plasma coagulation factors in South Africa blacks on a high-egg but low-fat intake

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Abstract
Twenty-five rural South African black males who worked on an egg farm an average of 4.1 yr had a mean habitual cholesterol intake of 1240 mg/d with fat supplying only 20% of total energy. Although total serum cholesterol was slightly although significantly higher and serum triglycerides significantly lower than those for a control group, no disturbance was evoked in the distribution of cholesterol between HDL, LDL, and VLDL fractions. Coagulation factors were within the normal range, but the high egg consumer group had significantly higher plasma fibrinogen and factor IX levels with a shorter mean prothrombin and partial thromboplastin time, possibly indicative of a slight hypercoagulable state. Apparently rural blacks can handle a very high cholesterol intake without meaningful disturbance in serum lipid homeostasis.