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Fat Amount Rather Than Fatty Acid Composition Influences Postprandial Hunger, Satiety and Attention in Men and Women with a Risk Phenotype for Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

  • 2026-01
  • The Journal of nutrition 156(1)
    • Christina Diekmann
    • Tim B Schiemann
    • Hannah F Kienēs
    • Carolin Wiechmann
    • Christina Kopp
    • Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
    • Martin Coenen
    • Robert Németh
    • Michael Wagner
    • Sarah Egert

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
29 participants with an increased cardiometabolic disease risk (e.g., body mass index, 30.2 ± 2.6 kg/m^2)
Methods
Randomized order, 4 isoenergetic test meals: high-fat meals (50 g) or low-fat meals (25 g) containing either canola or coconut oil; hunger and satiety ratings, blood samples, cognitive tests over a 6-h postprandial period
Duration
6-h postprandial period

Background

Hunger and satiety are influenced by both the amount and composition of dietary fat.

Objectives

This exploratory analysis examined the effects of meals enriched with different amounts of either canola oil (rich in unsaturated fatty acids) or coconut oil (rich in saturated fatty acids) on postprandial changes in subjective hunger and satiety ratings, related hormones, attention, and memory.

Methods

Twenty-nine participants with an increased cardiometabolic disease risk (e.g., body mass index, 30.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2) received 4 isoenergetic (∼4200 kJ) test meals in a randomized order: high-fat meals (HFMs) (50 g) or low-fat meals (LFMs) (25 g) containing either canola or coconut oil. Hunger and satiety ratings, blood samples for ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY), and cognitive tests were conducted at fasting and over a 6-h postprandial period. The data were analyzed via linear mixed models.

Results

Lower serum ghrelin levels were observed after canola oil meals [canola compared with coconut: -27,700 (confidence interval: -40,700, -14,700) min × pg/mL] with no effect of fat amount on incremental area under the curve data [HFM compared with LFM: -9500 (-22,500, 3500) min × pg/mL]. Serum PYY concentrations were higher after HFMs [HFM compared with LFM: 8600 (2100, 15,200) min × pg/mL]. LFMs resulted in lower subjective hunger ratings compared with HFMs [HFM compared with LFM: 250 (71, 430) min × score-value].

Conclusions

Our data indicate that predominantly the amount of dietary fat, rather than its type, affects hunger and satiety. At the hormonal level, canola oil suppressed postprandial hunger to a greater extent than coconut oil. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) as NCT05208346.

Research Insights

  • Coconut→Reduced Hunger Ratings

    LFMs resulted in lower subjective hunger ratings compared with HFMs [HFM compared with LFM: 250 (71, 430) min × score-value].

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    50 g (high-fat meal) or 25 g (low-fat meal)
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