Re: myristic acid associated with favourable lipid

[Guest guest]

It was not the myristic acid that caused favorable lipids; it was the

doubling of the linoleic acid in the diet.

If you notice carefully, the baseline diet was (MA 1.2%, ALA 0.4%).

Diet 1: MA 1.2% and ALA 0.9% - kept MA constant and doubled ALA.

Diet 2: MA 1.8% and ALA 0.9% - increased MA by 50% and doubled ALA.

Diet 1 decreased total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides

(triacylglycerols). It also decreased the ratio of total to

HDL-cholesterol.

Diet 2 decreased triglycerides, the ratios of total to HDL-cholesterol

and of triacylglycerols to HDL-cholesterol. HDL-cholesterol increased.

As you can see, the best improvements in lipids were obtained from

Diet 1. The *decrease* of the ratio Total:HDL means that the total

cholesterol dropped or the HDL was raised.

For Diet 2, the improvements caused by doubling linoleic acid were not

as evident because of the increased consumption of myristic acid.

This is in accordance with the Hegsted equation, and the Mensink and

Katan equation:

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/health/cholesterol1.html

Tony

>

> Interesting study done in monks resulting in favorable lipid changes.

> I thought myristic acid was bad for us?

>

>

>

> Title: Variations in daily intakes of myristic and -linolenic acids in

> sn-2 position modify lipid profile and red blood cell membrane fluidity

> Author(s): Henry Dabadie ; Claude Motta ; e Peuchant ; Pascale

> LeRuyet ; François Mendy

> Source: British Journal of Nutrition Volume: 96 Number: 2 Page:

> 283 -- 289

> DOI: 10.1079/BJN20061813

> Publisher: CABI Publishing

> Abstract: The present study evaluated the effects of moderate intakes

> of myristic acid (MA), at 1·2 % and 1·8 % of total energy (TE),

> associated with a 0·9 % TE intake of -linolenic acid (ALA) on lipid

> and fatty acid profiles and red blood cell membrane fluidity.

> Twenty-nine monks without dyslipidaemia were enrolled in a 1-year

> nutritional study in which two experimental diets were tested for 3

> months each: diet 1, MA 1·2 % and ALA 0·9 %; diet 2, MA 1·8 % and ALA

> 0·9 %. A control diet (MA 1·2 %, ALA 0·4 %) was given 3 months before

> diets 1 and 2. Thus, two different levels of MA (1·2 %, 1·8 %) and ALA

> (0·4 %, 0·9 %) were tested. Intakes of other fatty acids were at

> recommended levels. Samples were obtained on completion of all three

> diets. For fluidity analysis, the red blood cells were labelled with

> 16-doxylstearate and the probe incorporated the membrane where

> relaxation-correlation time was calculated. Diet 1 was associated with

> a decrease in total cholesterol, in LDL-cholesterol, in

> triacylglycerols and in the ratio of total to HDL-cholesterol; ALA and

> EPA levels were increased in both phospholipids and cholesterol

> esters. Diet 2 was associated with a decrease in triacylglycerols and

> in the ratios of total to HDL-cholesterol and of triacylglycerols to

> HDL-cholesterol, and with an increase in HDL-cholesterol; EPA levels

> were decreased in phospholipids and cholesterol esters. Red blood cell

> membrane fluidity was increased in both diets (P<0·0001), but the

> higher increase was obtained with diet 1, mainly in the oldest

> subjects. Intakes of myristic acid (1·2 %TE) and ALA (0·9 %TE), both

> mainly in the sn-2 position, were associated with favourable lipid and

> n-3 long-chain fatty acid profiles. These beneficial effects coexisted

> with particularly high membrane fluidity, especially among the oldest

> subjects.

>

>

http://titania.ingentaconnect.com/vl=10412557/cl=22/nw=1/rpsv/cgi-bin/linker?ini\

=cabi & reqidx=/ij/cabi/00071145/v96n2/s10/p283

>

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