Effects of dietary polyenylphosphatidylcholine on metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides in hypertriglyceridemic patients.

This study was carried out primarily to determine whether the feeding of lecithin (polyenylphosphatidylcholine) has systemic effects on metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia (type 4 hyperlipoproteinemia). Ten patients were studied during control periods and lecithin feeding. In the former period, 7 g of safflower oil were added to the diet to balance the addition of 10 g of lecithin in the latter period. Lecithin feeding had no influence on levels of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, or lipoprotein-cholesterol, transport of VLDL-triglycerides, or total steroid balance. However, lecithin feeding did significantly increase the molar percent of bile acids and decrease the molar percent lecithin in gallbladder bile suggesting that it has a systemic effect. In addition, it had a small but significant inhibitory effect on intestinal absorption of cholesterol.