# 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

## TL;DR

This study found that the amount of dietary fat, not its type, mainly affects hunger, fullness, and attention in people at risk for cardiometabolic diseases.

## Contribution

The study reveals that fat amount, rather than fatty acid type, is the key driver of postprandial hunger and satiety in high-risk individuals.

## Key findings

- Low-fat meals led to lower hunger ratings compared to high-fat meals.
- Canola oil reduced ghrelin levels more than coconut oil.
- High-fat meals increased peptide YY levels, a hormone linked to satiety.

## Abstract

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

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.

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.

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].

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.