Comparison of three species of dietary fish: effects on serum concentrations of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein in normotriglyceridemic subjects

Article Abstract:

Cholesterol is transported in the blood in the form of lipoproteins, conglomerates of fats such as cholesterol combined with varied proteins called apolipoproteins. The specific proteins and the proportions of the different types of fats are the features which differentiate types of lipoprotein. High blood levels of cholesterol are strongly related to a high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death in the US. Much of the risk from cholesterol is related to the proportion present as low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Apolipoprotein B (apo B), the major protein in LDL-C, may also be a risk factor for CHD. An increase in consumption of oily fish, which are rich in n-3 fatty acids, is associated with a decreased death rate due to CHD, partly due to hypolipemia (decreased blood levels of fats) and altered platelet and clotting activities. Previous studies have shown rises in LDL-C and apo B levels with consumption of fish-oil concentrate, but the effects of dietary modification have not been well studied. The effects of n-3 fatty acids obtained by increased consumption of Chinook salmon or sablefish (black cod) were compared with effects of consumption of Dover sole, a non-oily fish, in 24 healthy young men. Apo B levels increased to similar levels in subjects fed salmon or sablefish and were unchanged in those given sole. LDL-C levels increased significantly in the salmon and sablefish groups, as did total cholesterol levels, while levels of high density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased significantly in subjects given sole or salmon. The study indicates that moderate consumption of fatty fish such salmon or sablefish can increase blood levels of LDL-C and apo B, factors associated with a higher risk of CHD, even though the same diet is associated with a beneficial effect on other CHD risk factors. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Fish as food, Fish (Food product), Lipoproteins

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Beer mitigates some effects of copper deficiency in rats

Article Abstract:

The origin of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, is unclear, but copper deficiency may be a contributing factor. Many similarities between people with heart disease and copper-deficient animals have been observed. Moderate intake of alcohol has been associated with a decreased risk of death from heart disease, and it is postulated that the effects of alcohol on heart disease may be related to another variable, such as copper availability or metabolism. This was investigated by studying the effects of beer versus water on copper-deficient rats. Rats that were given beer lived nearly six times as long as rats given water, while all were on the low-copper diet. In three of four experiments, plasma cholesterol levels were significantly lower in rats fed beer. In one experiment, rats fed beer had smaller hearts; abnormal cardiac enlargement is a common side effect of copper deficiency. Substantial increases in copper and slight but significant increases zinc levels were found in the livers of beer-fed animals. The ability to absorb copper was somewhat greater in beer-fed rats, and the rate of excretion of copper from beer-fed rats was lower than in water-fed rats. The amount of copper in beer does not account for the changes observed, and the alcohol content of beer was apparently not involved. The results appear to be due to a simultaneous effect of beer on both cholesterol and copper metabolism. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Beer, Copper in the body, Copper (Nutrient)

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Cholesterol and apolipoprotein distribution in plasma high- density-lipoprotein subclasses from zinc-deficient rats

Article Abstract:

Research has shown that zinc deficiency lowers blood cholesterol in both animals and humans. In rats, the specific form of cholesterol reduced by zinc deficiency is the HDL (high density lipoprotein) type. HDL cholesterol is generally considered beneficial since it removes cholesterol from the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of coronary artery disease. Sixty rats were fed differing amounts of zinc, and blood levels of HDL cholesterol and related substances called apolipoproteins were measured. Zinc-deficient rats had substantially lower HDL cholesterol and apolipoproteins. Lack of zinc may lead to defective synthesis and release of HDL in the liver and intestines. Physicians use HDL and apolipoprotein levels to predict risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). There is extensive evidence that human patients with CAD have abnormally low zinc levels. Further investigation of the relationship between zinc in the diet and cholesterol metabolism is recommended.

Research, Apolipoproteins, High density lipoproteins, Cholesterol metabolism, Zinc deficiency diseases

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