​A healthy cholesterol number is associated with premenopausal women on low-fat diets.

This study evaluated how low-fat diets affect the lipid profile of premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Researchers analyzed data extracted from 8 randomized clinical trials that investigated the effect of low-fat diets on plasma concentrations of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Researchers discovered that increased intake of low-fat foods reduced the circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol in premenopausal women but not in postmenopausal women. In contrast, low-fat diets did not increase or decrease the serum concentrations of triglycerides in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The results of this study indicate that a decrease in the consumption rates of fatty foods may help to reduce the concentrations of cholesterol floating in the blood of premenopausal women.