Fat Intake, Serum Cholesterol Concentration, and Atherosclerosis in the South African Bantu. Part I. Low Fat Intake and the Age Trend of Serum Cholesterol Concentration in the South African Bantu1

Abstract

The South African Bantu are habituated to a diet containing, inter alia, less than 1/2 the amount of fat usual in American diets. It was found that mean serum cholesterol concentrations of Bantu groups after 40 years are statistically significantly lower than means for corresponding American subjects. Discussion of relevant evidence suggests that race, state of health, caloric deficiency, low cholesterol intake, and pathology and dysfunction of liver and pancreas, bear little responsibility for the low serum cholesterol values observed. While the main influencing factor is probably low fat intake, it is held that other factors are operating possibly related to the high "residue" diet of these people.