Effects of long-term monounsaturated- vs polyunsaturated-enriched diets on lipoproteins in healthy men and women.

The effect of dietary-fat saturation on plasma lipoprotein concentrations was assessed in 46 men and 32 women placed on a diet enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (sunflower oil) for 12 wk and, under isocaloric conditions, on a diet enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil) for the next 16 wk in men and 28 wk in women. Fat comprised 37% of the total energy intake in men and 36% in women. At the end of the monounsaturated fatty acid diet no change occurred in total cholesterol (TC) in men but it increased by 9% in women. High-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased by 17% in men and by 30% in women. The atherogenic index (TC:HDL cholesterol) fell significantly in both sexes. No significant changes occurred in plasma low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol or in total triglycerides values. These data show that when compared with polyunsaturates, monounsaturates increased HDL cholesterol and reduced the atherogenic risk profile in both sexes.