Background and Aims: Postprandial lipemia has been recognized as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. The rate of postprandial triglyceride (TG) production and clearance in the blood as well as the appetite are influenced by the quality of the food consumed, such as the length of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Several studies have found conflicting results when it comes to the effect of medium and long-chain fatty acids on lipemia. Also, the effects of the SFA chain length on postprandial appetite in humans are not well elucidated. Thus, this study aims to investigate if foods high in coconut oil (CO), which is a source of medium-chain fattyacids (MCFAs), or palm oil (PO), which is a source of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), have different impacts on appetite and postprandial blood lipid levels in healthy adults within the framework of their regular diet.Methods: This is a randomized crossover single-blinded intervention study of 20 healthy adults (10 males and 10 females), aged between 18-27 years. The study involved two test days, separated by a week's washout interval, and each test day lasted six hours. The test oil was given to each participant in the amount of 40g, in the form of biscuits of either CO or PO. Blood serum samples (3 ml) were withdrawn after an overnight fast and 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after eating the test meals, and examined for blood lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and TG], while Friedewald's equation was used to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL). After that, participants were allowed an ad libitum intake of standard meals. Each meal was weighed before and after it was consumed, with the amount of food ingested being calculated. Results:The net area under the curve (AUC) of TG following the CO (566.20±155.89 mg/dL) was significantly lower than following the PO (687.80±142.91 mg/dL; P= 0.001). Also, the net AUC of TC following the CO (895.7±114.81mg/dL) was significantly lower than that following the PO (926.90±124.75 mg/dL; P = 0.024). No significant differences were found in the net AUC for the other biomarkers, including LDL and HDL. In the mean of the change in TC, LDL and HDL from the baseline, a significant difference was found after six hours of eating the biscuits. Furthermore, after two hours of eating the biscuits, there was a significant difference in the mean of the change in TG and LDL from the baseline (PO =58.20±25.15 mg/dL, CO = 37.10±17.65 mg/dL; P= 0.000), (PO = -12.54±6.51 mg/dL, CO= -7.32±6.05 mg/dL; P= 0.011) respectively. The perceptions of hunger and fullness did not significantly differ between MCFAs and LCFAs. Also, the energy and macronutrient intakes were not significantly different after the two types of oil, neither at the ad libitum meal nor on the day following the treatments.Conclusion:According to this study findings, we found that in a young, healthy population, consuming CO rather than PO resulted in decreased postprandial TG and TC. Thus, the selection of fatty acid chain length may influence CVD risk in a way that is functionally significant. However, this study detected no influence of CO on perceptions of hunger, fullness, and desire to eat up to 40 hours post treatment.
Background and Aims:
Postprandial lipemia has been recognized as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. The rate of postprandial triglyceride (TG) production and clearance in the blood as well as the appetite are influenced by the quality of the food consumed, such as the length of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Several studies have found conflicting results when it comes to the effect of medium and long-chain fatty acids on lipemia. Also, the effects of the SFA chain length on postprandial appetite in humans are not well elucidated. Thus, this study aims to investigate if foods high in coconut oil (CO), which is a source of medium-chain fattyacids (MCFAs), or palm oil (PO), which is a source of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), have different impacts on appetite and postprandial blood lipid levels in healthy adults within the framework of their regular diet.
Methods:
This is a randomized crossover single-blinded intervention study of 20 healthy adults (10 males and 10 females), aged between 18-27 years. The study involved two test days, separated by a week's washout interval, and each test day lasted six hours. The test oil was given to each participant in the amount of 40g, in the form of biscuits of either CO or PO. Blood serum samples (3 ml) were withdrawn after an overnight fast and 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after eating the test meals, and examined for blood lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and TG], while Friedewald's equation was used to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL). After that, participants were allowed an ad libitum intake of standard meals. Each meal was weighed before and after it was consumed, with the amount of food ingested being calculated.
Results:
The net area under the curve (AUC) of TG following the CO (566.20±155.89 mg/dL) was significantly lower than following the PO (687.80±142.91 mg/dL; P= 0.001). Also, the net AUC of TC following the CO (895.7±114.81mg/dL) was significantly lower than that following the PO (926.90±124.75 mg/dL; P = 0.024). No significant differences were found in the net AUC for the other biomarkers, including LDL and HDL. In the mean of the change in TC, LDL and HDL from the baseline, a significant difference was found after six hours of eating the biscuits. Furthermore, after two hours of eating the biscuits, there was a significant difference in the mean of the change in TG and LDL from the baseline (PO =58.20±25.15 mg/dL, CO = 37.10±17.65 mg/dL; P= 0.000), (PO = -12.54±6.51 mg/dL, CO= -7.32±6.05 mg/dL; P= 0.011) respectively. The perceptions of hunger and fullness did not significantly differ between MCFAs and LCFAs. Also, the energy and macronutrient intakes were not significantly different after the two types of oil, neither at the ad libitum meal nor on the day following the treatments.
Conclusion:
According to this study findings, we found that in a young, healthy population, consuming CO rather than PO resulted in decreased postprandial TG and TC. Thus, the selection of fatty acid chain length may influence CVD risk in a way that is functionally significant. However, this study detected no influence of CO on perceptions of hunger, fullness, and desire to eat up to 40 hours post treatment.