Differential effects of Chinese high-fat dietary habits on lipid metabolism: mechanisms and health implications

Abstract

Background: The traditional Chinese diet blends lard with vegetable oil, keeping the fatty acid balance intake ratio of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids at nearly 1:1:1. However, the effects of a mixture of lard and vegetable oil on lipid metabolism have never been researched. In the present study, by simulating Chinese high-fat dietary habits, we explored the effects of a mixture of lard and vegetable oil on lipid metabolism. Methods: We randomly assigned 50 male C57BL/6 J mice to 5 groups (10 in each group) and fed them lard, sunflower oil (SFO), soybean oil (SBO), lard blended with sunflower oil (L-SFO), or lard blended with soybean oil (L-SBO) for 12 weeks. Results: We found that the final body weights of mice in the lard group were significantly higher than those of mice in the SFO and SBO groups. Body fat rate and volume of fat cell of the lard group were significantly higher than those of the SFO, SBO, and L-SBO groups. Liver triglyceride level of the lard group increased significantly compared to the other groups. Although body fat rate and liver triglyceride level in the SBO and SFO groups decreased compared to those in the other groups, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio were also significantly decreased in the SBO and SFO groups. Conclusions: We found that a lard diet induced accumulation of body fat, liver and serum lipids, which can increase the risk of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty acid liver disease, and atherosclerosis. The vegetable oil diet resulted in cholesterol metabolism disorders even though it did not lead to obesity. The mixed oil diet induced body fat accumulation, but did not cause lipid accumulation in the liver and serum. Thus, differential oil/fat diets have an impact on differential aspects in mouse lipid metabolism.

Effect of Lard or Plus Soybean Oil on Markers of Liver Function in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled-Feeding Trial

“…Because saturated fatty acids (SFAs) increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the consumption of lard has significantly reduced in recent years. However, the majority of earlier lard-related studies utilized a high-fat diet [13][14][15], which is very dissimilar from the diet of Asian nations, including China. While moderate lard consumption was shown in human intervention trials to increase LDL-C in comparison to plant oils such as soybean oil, olive oil, and palm olein [16,17], in most individuals, the increase in LDL-C is not due to an increase in the levels of small dense LDL particles, but rather, larger LDL particles, which are much less strongly associated with CVD risk [18].…”

Regulation of semen quality by fatty acids in diets, extender, and semen

“…It has been reported that the content of SA may be affected by species factors ( 29 ). MA is a straight-chain SFAs with 14 carbon atoms and no carbon–carbon double bond, which was originally found in the seeds of nutmeg ( 30 , 31 ). MA is also widely found in animal fats and vegetable oils, including sperm, whale oil, coconut oil, and dairy products ( 32 , 33 ).…”

Lard-Blended Vegetable Oil Diet Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome in Mice

“…Some studies even reported a fat energy content of 22% in 1992, and 32.9% in 2012 18 both in China, while a 27% fat energy in west India 19 . In our previous study, we mixed lard with vegetable oil to make SFA: MUFA: PUFA close to 1:1:1, we have found that lard blended with soybean oil has anti-obesity effects under 25% fat energy by decreasing adipogenesis and lipogenesis while increasing the hydrolysis of triglycerides in adipose tissues 20 , but the effects disappeared under 35% fat energy 21 . In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether the anti-obesity effect of balanced fatty acid diet extended to sun ower oil under 30% fat energy, and explore its effects on liver lipids metabolism and serum hormones.…”