Cholesterol and saturated fatty acids

Excessive dietary intake of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids leads to decreased hepatic clearance of LDL and deposition of LDL and oxidized LDL in peripheral tissues. 

Today several aspects need to be considered when developing foods enriched in plant sterols and stanols. The food itself should already have a healthy profile in its category, with low salt, fat, cholesterol, and saturated fatty acid contents. Furthermore, local eating habits need to be considered, as sterol-enriched foods should be staple foods, making them easy to incorporate into... 

Dairy products (see Milk and milkproducts) have been staple items of the diet for many centuries, and have long been the target for imitation. The development of nutritional guidelines emphasizing the need to reduce total dietary fat, dietary cholesterol [57-88-5] C2yH4 0, and saturated fatty acids (see Fats and fatty oils Fat substitutes), has increased the interest in imitation dairy foods. However, with the exception of butter and cream the market penetration of dairy substitutes has been limited. 

There is substantial evidence that indicates that dietary fat can influence significantly not only serum levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerols but also the lipid composition and content of Apoproteins (156-159). Much attention has been placed on the effects of diet on LDL levels, and saturated fatty acid and cholesterol itself have been identified as the major nutritional factors that can raise serum LDL-cholesterol levels. However, LDL cholesterol is only one of the many risk factors for atherosclerosis, and it is not known if oxidative modification of LDL is an equally or more important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis than total LDL cholesterol per se. More longitudinal studies are needed to answer these questions. If lipid peroxidation is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, then excess consumption of highly unsaturated fats may not be advisable. 

Appreciable research on the effect of canola oil on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins has been reported. The primary impetus for this research was the finding that dietary monounsaturated fatty acids were as effective as polyunsaturated fatty acids in lowering plasma total and LDL cholesterol (100, 109). These findings also provided a possible explanation for the observation that canola oil was as effective as soybean oil in lowering plasma cholesterol in normolipidemic men (110). Prevailing theory had held that saturated fatty acids raised plasma cholesterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids lowered plasma cholesterol, and monounsaturated fatty acids were neutral, they neither raised nor lowered plasma cholesterol (111, 112). 

A method of increasing the HDL concentration and the HDL/LDL concentration ratio in human serum by providing a balance between a sufficient and required proportion of cholesterol-free saturated fatty acids in the daily dietary fat of the human and a sufficient and required, but not excessive, proportion of polyunsamrated fatty acids comprising linoleic acid in dietary fat, while the remaining proportion of fatty... 

By addition of sphingomyelin and saturated fatty acid chain lipids to the cholesterol-rich liposomes, several formulations have been produced. For example, novel liposomal vincristine. 

Neuronal membranes contain phospholipids. A lack of essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 fats, or excessive intake of saturated fats, margarine, cholesterol, and animal fatty acids, can result in abnormalities. The neuronal cell membrane regulates the passage of molecules into and out of the cell. Neuronal membrane fluidity is believed to impact behavior, mood, and mental function. Physical properties, including the fluidity, of neuronal membranes affect neurotransmitter synthesis, signal transmission, uptake of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter binding, and the activity of key enzymes that break down neurotransmitters like serotonin, epinephrine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. 

Coagulation The interest in the effects of particular fatty acids on coagulation and fibrinolytic factors has increased since the observation that different saturated fatty acids raise serum lipids and lipoproteins in different ways (see section on cholesterol metabolism). Although results are conflicting, some studies indicate that the most potent cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acids also increase factor VII activity. 

Cig monounsaturated trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol concentration the cholesterol-raising effect is similar in magnitude to that of the cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acids, i.e., myristic (14 0) and palmitic (16 0) acids. 

The influence of trans fatty acids on plasma lipoproteins in relation to CHD risk would thus appear to be more unfavorable than that of saturated fatty acids, as determined by the effect on the ratio of LDL to FIDL cholesterol. However, the overall magnitude of the effect would be dependent on the relative intakes of trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids. In the UK trans fatty acids contribute about 2% of dietary energy, in contrast to saturated fatty acids which contribute about 15% dietary energy, and this needs to be considered when formulating dietary advice. The Task Force also estimated, on the same basis, that a reduction of 6% in energy from saturated fatty acids would decrease risk by 37%. 

Unfortunately, excess consumption of fatty foods has been correlated with serious human disease conditions. Effects on cardiovascular disease (95), cancer (96), and function of the immune system (97) have been shown. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the effects of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids on semm cholesterol and more recently high density Hpoprotein (HDL) and low density Hpoprotein... 

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative disease which is characterized by cholesterol-containing thickening of arterial walls. Saturated fatty acids, high levels of cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and elevated serum lipoprotein are well-knowm risk... 

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