Serum lipid response to a high-caloric, high-fat diet in agricultural workers during 12 months

The effect of a gluttony diet in healthy subjects was studied over an observation period of 12 months. Twenty-six agricultural workers, all of them Yemenite Jews, received a high-caloric, high-fat diet, and the changes in serum cholesterol (CH), high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, and body weight were assessed. Yemenite Jews as a group are characterized by low serum CH levels and by a low incidence of coronary artery disease. For a period of 7 months the subjects received a diet of 4553 cal/day, more than double their original "Yemenite diet". After this time they resumed their customary low-caloric diet for 3 months, and thereafter for another 2 months they continued with the high-caloric food regimen. The high-caloric, high-fat diet resulted in the expected increase of serum CH. A similar increase of high-density lipoprotein-CH was found. Serum triglyceride levels changed inversely to those of CH. It is suggested that the altered relation of calories derived from carbohydrates to those derived from fats brought about the decrease of triglycerides, and this irrespective of the increased intake of carbohydrates and fats. The rather small gain of body weight over the trial period--despite the doubled caloric intake--is similar to other studies that showed that the ability of normal individuals to gain weight through overeating varies considerably.