in 1984 the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food
Policy (COMA) recognized seven dietary factors implicated
as important in the development of coronary heart disease
(CHD); two are recognized as promoting and the
others as protective. The implication of fatty acids in CHD
development may be summarized as follows: stearic acid
(C18:0) does not raise serum cholesterol, the short-chain
(C7:0–C11:0) saturated fatty acids (SCFA) do not influence
cholesterol concentration in the blood, while lauric acid
(C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) are
recognized as atherogenic factors. Based on these considerations,