3. Are all saturated fats equally cholesterol elevating?

There is scientific evidence that not all saturated fats are equally cholesterol elevating. Studies have found that, compared to other long chain saturated fatty acids, stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), otherwise known as the 'bad' cholesterol1, 2.

Studies have found that, compared to palmitic acid, lauric acid and myristic acid increase total blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the 'good' cholesterol, and the LDL/HDL ratio in both nonhuman primates, and normo-cholesterolemic men and women who consumed a typical western diet3,4. The myristic acid and lauric acid from coconut oil increased total blood cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides5.

Another study found that, in normocholesterolemic primates, dietary palmitic acid and oleic acid produced similar effects on LDL and HDL metabolism6. These findings were confirmed in studies with normolipidemic humans who consumed a moderate fat diet low in myristic acid and dietary cholesterol, which found the effect of palmitic acid on total blood cholesterol and LDL/HDL ratio to be comparable to that of oleic acid7,8. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid which studies have found to have beneficial effects on total blood cholesterol, LDL, and HDL, in comparison with saturated fats.

In summary, the literature suggests that both stearic acid and palmitic acid, which comprise virtually all the saturated fats in palm oil, have neutral to favorable impact on serum lipid profiles compared to lauric and myristic acid.

• Bonanome, A. & Grundy S.M. (1988) Effect of dietary stearic acid on plasma cholesterol and lipoprotein levels. N. Engl. J. Med. 318:1244-1248.

• Yu, S., Derr, J., Etherton, T. D. and Kris-Etherton, P. M. (1995) Plasma cholesterol-predictive equations demonstrate that stearic acid is neutral and monounsaturated fatty acids are hypocholesterolemic. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 61:1129-1139.

• Hayes, K.C., Pronczuk, A., Lindsey, S. and Diersen-Schade, D. (1991) Dietary saturated fatty acids (12:0, 14:0, 16:0) differ in their impact on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins in nonhuman primates. Am .J. Clin. Nutr. 53:491-498.

• Zock, P. L. de Vries, J. H. M. and Katan, M. B. (1994) Impact of myristic versus palmitic acid on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in healthy women & men. Arterioscler. Thromb. 14:567-575.

• Ng, T. K.W., Hayes, K. C., de Witt, G. F., Jegathesan, M., Satgunasingham, N., Ong, A. S. H. and Tan, D. T. (1992) Dietary palmitic and oleic acids exert similar effects on serum cholesterol and lipoprotein profiles in normocholesterolemic men & women. J. Am. Coll. Nutr., 11:383-390.

• Khosla, P. & Hayes, K.C. (1992) Comparison between dietary saturated (16:0), monounsaturated (18:1) and polyunsaturated (18:2) fatty acids on plasma lipoprotein metabolism in cebus and rhesus monkeys fed cholesterol-free diets. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 55:51-62.

• Sundram, K., Hayes, K. C. and Siru, O. H. (1995) Both dietary 18:2 and 16:0 may be required to improve the serum LDL/HDL ratio in normocholesterolemic men. J. Nutr. Biochem. 6:179-187.

• Choudhury, N., Tan, L. and Truswell, A. S. (1995) Comparison of palmolein and olive oil: effects on plasma lipids and vitamin E in young adults. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 61:1043-1051.

Back to FAQS