(03-01-06) Comparison of the effects of a high-fat diet enriched with peanuts and a low-fat (NCEP) diet on blood lipid profiles.

Colquhoun D, Hicks B, Somerset S, Richards D, Hamill C, Westhuyzen J, Saltissi D, Kostner M, Kostner K.

Wesley Private Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Background - Diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) favourably affect serum lipids. The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a seed from the legume family Fabaceae which is a high fat food that has a fatty acid profile dominated by MUFA (P:M:S ratio 1:2.2:0.7). The peanut is popularly considered to be a nut and accounts for about two-thirds of all nuts consumed in the USA. Aim - A comparison of the effects of two isocaloric diets: a high MUFA diet enriched with 50g of peanuts per day (PE diet, 35-40% dietary energy [E] as fat) and the National Cholesterol Education Program diet (NCEP diet, fat <30%E, SFA 8-10%E, cholesterol <300mg/day) on blood lipid profiles and low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation rates. Design - Sixteen subjects (12 female, four male) followed the NCEP diet for 4 weeks, then the PE diet for 4 weeks. LDL susceptibility to copper induced oxidation was characterised by the lag time (min), the level of conjugated dienes (CD; mumol/g protein) after oxidation and the maximal rate during the propagation phase (mumol/min/g protein). Outcomes - Both diets significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C, P<0.01). High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels fell on the NCEP diet (P <0.01), but were preserved on the PE diet. Triglycerides (TG) fell on the PE diet only (P <0.01). Both the MUFA diet and the Low-Fat diet decreased oxidation of LDL (P <0.01), another potential anti-atherogenic effect. The MUFA diet enriched with peanuts was at least as effective as the NCEP low-fat diet in decreasing TC and LDL-C, with a smaller impact on HDL-C concentrations and a more favourable effect on TG levels. Conclusion - Peanuts can be included in a cholesterol lowering diet to add taste texture and thereby improve long term adherence.

PMID: 16326474 [PubMed - in process]

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14 Suppl:S116.

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