Effect of Moderate Changes in Dietary Fatty Acid Profile on Postprandial Lipaemia, Haemostatic and Related CVD Risk Factors in Healthy Men

Objective: To investigate the effect of moderate changes in dietary fatty acid profile on postprandial risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Design: Double-blind, randomised, crossover, intervention trial.

Setting: : University of Auckland Human Nutrition Unit, New Zealand.

Subjects: A total of 18 lean healthy men.

Intervention: A dairy butter fat modified to reduce the saturated:unsaturated fatty acid ratio and a conventional high saturated butter fat were given on two separate occasions as a high-fat test meal (59+/-4 g fat; 71 en% fat) at breakfast. A fat exclusion lunch, dinner and snacks were also given. Blood samples were collected at 0 (baseline), 1, 3, 6, 10 and 24 h.

Results: Maximum peak in total triacylglycerol (TAG) occurred 3 h postprandially and was highest on modified treatment (diet, P<0.05) due predominantly to increased TAG within the chylomicron-rich fraction. Transient peaks in total-, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol occurred postprandially, but did not differ between dietary treatments (P>0.05). There were no differential effects of diet on postprandial free fatty acids, apo A, apo B, glucose, insulin, amylin or haemostatic clotting factors (P>0.05).

Conclusions: In a group of healthy young men, replacement of 16% of total saturated fatty acids by mono- and polyunsaturated fats within a dairy lipid did not induce postprandial changes in CVD risk that may be considered beneficial for health.

Sponsorship: Fonterra, Wellington; New Zealand.