ABSTRACT

The effect of short-term deprivatioa (10 days) on plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipids, free fatty acids, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) were investigated in seven medical students (Urban adults) aged between 21 and 24 years and eight Village Adults aged between 30 and 40 years. There were significant falls in all the plasma lipids except free fatty acids and the plasma triglycerides of the village adults. Plasma proteins in all subjects were reduced while the fall in albumin was significant only for the urban adults. Positive correlation of Mbody fat with plasma lipids was only significant for HDLC in the urban adults and triglycerides for the village adults. There was no correlation between plasma proteins and lipids except with HDLC for village adults. Tbe village adults however, were observed to show a less stressful effect on plasma lipids than the Urban adults though they reacted to the short-term deprivation more or less in the same manner.

The fall in plasma lipids have been attributed to a fall in the lipo-protein fractions which arc the chief carriers of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids while freefatty acids were- not affected within the short period of the experiment;