Physical form of dietary fat alters postprandial substrate utilization and glycemic response in healthy Chinese men

Background: Dietary fats elicit various physiological responses, with the physical form of fat reported to alter fat digestion and absorption.

Objectives: The primary aims were to compare the effects of dietary fat in 2 physical forms (liquid and oleogel) and 2 degrees of saturation (saturated and polyunsaturated) on postprandial energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation, glycemia, and appetite.

Methods: The study was a randomized, controlled crossover trial. Sixteen normal-weight, healthy Chinese men completed the study [mean ± SD age: 28 ± 6 y; body mass index (in kg/m2): 22.9 ± 3.1]. After an overnight fast, participants had their body weight measured and entered an indirect whole-room calorimeter (WRC). After baseline measurements, participants consumed orange juice and rice porridge alone (control), with 22.25 g coconut oil or sunflower oil or with 25 g coconut oleogel or sunflower oleogel in random order with a 5-d washout period between treatments. EE, substrate oxidation, capillary blood glucose, and appetite were measured over 195 min in a WRC. Participants completed a meal challenge to assess appetite. Test meals effects were compared by using repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results: Fat saturation did not affect all study outcomes significantly. When data were pooled based on the physical form of dietary fat, EE did not differ. However, significantly higher carbohydrate oxidation (P = 0.03) and a trend of lower fat oxidation (P = 0.07) were found after the liquid oil than after the oleogel or control treatments. Postprandial capillary glucose was also significantly lower after the liquid oil than after the oleogel or control treatments (P < 0.001). Appetite was not affected by the physical form and the saturation of dietary fats.

Conclusions: The saturation of dietary fat did not affect postprandial glucose, EE, substrate oxidation, or appetite. However, oleogel prevented the glycemic-lowering and fat-oxidation effects induced by liquid oil in Chinese men. Future work on oleogel should focus on cardiometabolic risk factors.