Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

Chapter 6 / Oils, Fats, and CVD 83
unaffected by CLA. CLA had more potent effects than linoleic acid (43).
CLA also has antioxidant effects (41) and, consequently, may protect
LDL from oxidative modification in vivo. However, another study
reported that CLA induces lipid peroxidation in humans (44). Additional
studies are needed to clarify the relationship between CLA and CVD.
Another important biological effect of CLA is that it reduces body fat
in humans. Blankson et al. (45) fed overweight subjects 3.4, 5.1, or 6.8
g of CLA/d for 12 wk and found that body fat decreased only in the
groups receiving 3.4 g or 6.8 g/d of CLA. Likewise, Riserus et al. (46)
reported that middle-aged men with abdominal obesity had a significant
decrease in abdominal adipose tissue mass after consuming 4.2 g of
CLA/d for 4 wk. Additional information is needed to establish the role
of CLA in regulating adipose tissue mass in humans. Collectively, CLA
has some effects on important risk factors for CVD that would be expected
to favorably affect coronary risk.
TOTAL FAT
Fats are mixtures of different fatty acids and all contain SFAs,
MUFAs, and PUFAs (see Fig. 4). Whereas all contain linoleic acid, not
all fats contain ALA. It is apparent that diets can be developed that are
high in certain fatty acid classes by emphasizing specific fats. However,
there are limits to the amount of total fat that can be included in the diet,
because all fats are energy dense and contain SFAs. Population studies
in Western societies have shown that total fat tracks with both calories
and saturated fat because of prevailing dietary patterns that include certain
fats and oils (1). In addition, there is a limit to the amount of total fat
in the diet because numerous foods must be incorporated to meet nutrient
needs within the context of meeting (and not exceeding) energy needs.
Thus, to achieve a healthy fatty acid profile in the diet, fats that are good
sources of unsaturated fats can be substituted for saturated fat. Alternatively,
total fat (and saturated fat) can be reduced in the diet in conjunction
with some fat source modifications.
NUTRIENTS AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS
IN FATS AND OILS
Vegetable oils are a rich source of vitamin E, which is a potent antioxidant
nutrient. Both epidemiologic and in vitro studies show beneficial
effects of vitamin E, especially of α-tocopherol, on both incidence
of CVD and important markers, including decreased oxidized LDL,
reduced platelet adhesion and aggregation, and inhibition of smooth
muscle cell proliferation, for CVD (47). To date, results from clinical