FIGURE 1.

Mean (±SEM) effects of variation in dietary carbohydrate and saturated fat on LDL subclasses. A cohort of 178 men were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diet groups: diets with varying carbohydrate contents (54%, 39%, or 26% of total energy) and a low saturated fat content (•, 8% of total energy derived primarily from dairy products) or a diet with a relatively low carbohydrate (26%) and a high saturated fat content (□, 15% of total energy) (8). In the context of the 26% carbohydrate diet, high dietary saturated fat was associated with increases in large and medium LDL, but not with small LDL, relative to diets with a lower saturated fat content. Data points represent biochemical profiles for each of the 4 dietary groups. Values are the total lipoprotein mass as measured by analytic ultracentrifugation.