Reduction of plasma cholesterol levels in normal men on an American Heart Association Step 1 diet or a Step 2 diet with added monounsaturated fat

Article Abstract:

Reduction of the amount of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream to an optimal level has been the goal of several recent diets. However, the role of individual fatty acids in determining the blood cholesterol level is a controversial issue among researchers, and the possible advantages of selectively eliminating different kinds of fat have not been characterized. Some common types of fat, named according to their chemical structure, include saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat, and these are thought to play different roles in cholesterol formation. Blood tests were given to 39 healthy young men before and after they had consumed one of three diets for 10 weeks. The 'Step 1' diet of the American Heart Association recommends that 30 percent of each day's total calories be fat, of which 10 percent are to be saturated, 10 percent monounsaturated, and 10 percent polyunsaturated. The 'Mono' diet was an enriched version of the Step 1 diet with 18 percent calories per day of monounsaturated fats instead of 10, giving a total of 38 percent of caloric intake per day as fats. The 'average American diet' also had 38 percent of its calories as fat, but they comprised 18 percent saturated fats and the same amounts of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats as the Step 1 diet. Men in this third group also consumed 500 mg cholesterol per day. All subjects first ate the average American diet for 10 weeks, then changed to the diet of the group to which they had been randomly assigned. Blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins (proteins bound to fats) during the initial 10-week period served as the baseline against which subsequent measurements were compared. The Step 1 group and the Mono group both had lower total cholesterol levels (8.0 percent and 10.4 percent reduction, respectively) and lower LDL cholesterol levels than the American diet group. There were no differences among the groups in plasma triglycerides. It is especially noteworthy that the Mono diet, in spite of its greater amount of monounsaturated fat as compared with the Step 1 diet, did not lead to higher blood cholesterol levels. This implies that some people on low-cholesterol diets could add variety to their diets by the addition of small amounts of monounsaturated fats without raising their blood cholesterol levels. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Physiological aspects, Food, Low-fat diet, Low fat diet, Blood cholesterol, American Heart Association

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Serum myoinositol concentrations in premature infants fed human milk, formula for infants, and parenteral nutrition

Article Abstract:

Myoinositol is a sugar that is widely distributed in the human body and in various foods, including breast milk. It may be an important factor in human growth and is thought to play a role in the production of the surfactant, which protects the lungs of newborn babies suffering from respiratory distress syndrome. A study was conducted to determine: the normal blood levels of myoinositol in 65 mothers and infants at birth (both premature and full-term infants); the amount of this sugar in human milk, infant formula and parenteral (intravenous) feeding solutions; and levels of blood myoinositol in 15 premature infants receiving these three sources of nutrition. The results showed that at birth, the newborns had a higher blood level of myoinositol than their mothers. The myoinositol content of breast milk was significantly greater than the amount in parenteral solutions and infant formulas. During the three weeks that the group of 15 premature babies was studied, blood myoinositol increased in the breast-fed infants, but remained the same in the infants fed parenterally or with formula. It was concluded that newborns have higher blood myoinositol concentrations than adults and that their blood levels can be explained by the amount of the sugar supplied in their feedings. More research will be needed to assess whether myoinositol has a specific nutritional benefit and should be added to infant formulas. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Analysis, Measurement, Food and nutrition, Infants (Premature), Premature infants, Infants (Newborn), Newborn infants, Breast feeding, Infant formulas, Inositol

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