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Comparative Study
. 2020 Feb 26;12(3):615.
doi: 10.3390/nu12030615.

Palmitic Acid Versus Stearic Acid: Effects of Interesterification and Intakes on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers - A Systematic Review

Merel A van Rooijen  1 , Ronald P Mensink  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Palmitic Acid Versus Stearic Acid: Effects of Interesterification and Intakes on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers - A Systematic Review

Merel A van Rooijen et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Fats that are rich in palmitic or stearic acids can be interesterified to increase their applicability for the production of certain foods. When compared with palmitic acid, stearic acid lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, which is a well-known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but its effects on other cardiometabolic risk markers have been studied less extensively. In addition, the positional distribution of these two fatty acids within the triacylglycerol molecule may affect their metabolic effects. The objective was to compare the longer-term and postprandial effects of (interesterified) fats that are rich in either palmitic or stearic acids on cardiometabolic risk markers in humans. Two searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase (OVID) and Cochrane Library were performed; one to identify articles that studied effects of the position of palmitic or stearic acids within the triacylglycerol molecule and one to identify articles that compared side-by-side effects of palmitic acid with those of stearic acid. The interesterification of palmitic or stearic acid-rich fats does not seem to affect fasting serum lipids and (apo) lipoproteins. However, substituting palmitic acid with stearic acid lowers LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Postprandial lipemia is attenuated if the solid fat content of a fat blend at body temperature is increased. How (the interesterification of) palmitic or stearic acid-rich fats affects other cardiometabolic risk markers needs further investigation.

Keywords: cardiometabolic risk markers; coronary heart disease; interesterification; lipids; lipoproteins; longer-term; palmitic acid; positional distribution; postprandial; stearic acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of studies on the effects of interesterification of palmitic acid- or stearic acid-rich fats on cardiometabolic risk markers. Abbreviations: FA, fatty acid; CV, cardiovascular.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow chart of studies on the effects of palmitic acid versus stearic acid on cardiometabolic risk markers. Abbreviations: FA, fatty acid.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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