Comparison of PO diets with diets rich in stearic acid , monounsaturated fatty acids ( MUFAs ) , and polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) showed significantly higher TC , LDL cholesterol , apolipoprotein B , HDL cholesterol , and apolipoprotein A-I , whereas most of the same biomarkers were significantly lower when compared with diets rich in myristic/lauric acid .
Comparison of PO-rich diets with diets rich in trans fatty acids showed significantly higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I and significantly lower apolipoprotein B , triacylglycerols , and TC/HDL cholesterol .
Stratified and meta-regression analyses showed that the higher concentrations of TC and LDL cholesterol , when PO was substituted for MUFAs and PUFAs , were not significant in young people and in subjects with diets with a lower percentage of energy from fat .
Both favorable and unfavorable changes in CHD/CVD risk markers occurred when PO was substituted for the primary dietary fats , whereas only favorable changes occurred when PO was substituted for trans fatty acids .
BACKGROUND Palm oil ( PO ) may be an unhealthy fat because of its high saturated fatty acid content .
OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess the effect of substituting PO for other primary dietary fats on blood lipid-related markers of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) .

Exchanging partially hydrogenated fat
for palmitic acid in the diet increases
LDL-cholesterol and endogenous
cholesterol synthesis in
normocholesterolemic women
Summary . Partial hydrogenation of oil results in fats containing unusual isomeric fatty acids characterized by cis and trans configurations . Hydrogenated fats containing trans fatty acids increase plasma total cholesterol ( TC ) and LDL-cholesterol while depressing HDL-cholesterol levels . Identifying the content of trans fatty acids by food labeling is overshadowed by a reluctance of health authorities to label saturates and trans fatty acids separately . Thus , it is pertinent to compare the effects of trans to saturated fatty acids using stable isotope methodology to establish if the mechanism of increase in TC and LDL-cholesterol is due to the increase in the rate of endogenous synthesis of cholesterol . Ten healthy normocholesterolemic female subjects consumed each of two diets containing approximately 30 % of energy as fat for a fourweek period . One diet was high in palmitic acid ( 10.6 % of energy ) from palm olein and the other diet exchanged 5.6 % of energy as partially hydrogenated fat for palmitic acid . This fat blend result ed in monounsaturated fatty acids decreasing by 4.9 % and polyunsaturated fats increasing by 2.7 % . The hydrogenated fat diet treatment provided 3.1 % of energy as elaidic acid . For each dietary treatment , the fractional synthesis rates for cholesterol were measured using deuterium-labeling procedures and blood sample s were obtained for blood lipid and lipoprotein measurements . Subjects exhibited a higher total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level when consuming the diet containing trans fatty acids while also depressing the HDL-cholesterol level . Consuming the partially hydrogenated fat diet treatment increased the fractional synthesis rate of free cholesterol . Consumption of hydrogenated fats containing trans fatty acids in comparison to a mixtur e of palmitic and oleic acids increase plasma cholesterol levels apparently by increasing endogenous synthesis of cholesterol
Comparison of PO diets with diets rich in stearic acid , monounsaturated fatty acids ( MUFAs ) , and polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) showed significantly higher TC , LDL cholesterol , apolipoprotein B , HDL cholesterol , and apolipoprotein A-I , whereas most of the same biomarkers were significantly lower when compared with diets rich in myristic/lauric acid .
Comparison of PO-rich diets with diets rich in trans fatty acids showed significantly higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I and significantly lower apolipoprotein B , triacylglycerols , and TC/HDL cholesterol .
Stratified and meta-regression analyses showed that the higher concentrations of TC and LDL cholesterol , when PO was substituted for MUFAs and PUFAs , were not significant in young people and in subjects with diets with a lower percentage of energy from fat .
Both favorable and unfavorable changes in CHD/CVD risk markers occurred when PO was substituted for the primary dietary fats , whereas only favorable changes occurred when PO was substituted for trans fatty acids .
BACKGROUND Palm oil ( PO ) may be an unhealthy fat because of its high saturated fatty acid content .
OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess the effect of substituting PO for other primary dietary fats on blood lipid-related markers of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) .