Evaluation of acute effects of coconut oil and olive oil intake on hunger and satiety/satiation in healthy and obese individuals

Obesity is an important health problem worldwide and it is associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some types of cancers. Studying the effects of food on hunger and satiety is important for maintaining appetite control in the treatment of obesity. The aim of this study is to investigate acute effects of consuming coconut oil as a source of medium chain fatty acids and olive oil as a source of long chain fatty acids in normal weight and obese subjects. This study was conducted on normal weight (n=10) and obese (n=10) male subjects at Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Health Center. The mean age of the normal weight and obese subjects was 33.5 ± 3.9 years and 35.5 ± 4.1 years, respectively. Individuals who agreed to participate in the study consumed breakfast meals containing skimmed milk (300 mL), fat-free white cheese (30 g), bread (75 g) and coconut oil (25g) or olive oil (25g) on non-consecutive days. Visual analog scale evaluations (at 0., 30., 60., 120., 180. minutes), energy expenditure measurements by indirect calorimetry (at 0., 60., 120., 180. minutes), some blood parameters analyzes (glucose, triglyceride, insulin and plasma peptide YY)(at 0., 30., 60., 120., 180. minutes) were performed before and after the test breakfast meals. In addition, energy intakes were evaluated by ad libitum lunch meal at 180 minutes. Visual analogue scale values of hunger and desire to eat decreased significantly after coconut oil consumption than olive oil consumption in normal weight subjects at 180. minutes (p=0.031, 0.020, respectively). The change of peptide YY levels after consumption of coconut oil and olive oil at 30., 60., 120. and 180. minutes were 41.8±67.7, 52.5±103.2, 28.2±43.3, 47.7±77.9 pg/dL and -1.8±71.1, 15.9±53.9, 7.8±51.6, -5.±59 pg/dL (p=0.075, 0.322, 0.454, 0.073, respectively). Ad libitum energy intakes after coconut oil and olive oil consumption in normal weight subjects were 924.86±302.91, 845.47±158.39 kcal (p=0.272), respectively, whereas in obese subjects were 859.26±238.37, 994.69±265.16 kcal (p=0.069), respectively. There were no significant differences in the areas under the curve of resting energy expenditure values after consumption of coconut oil and olive oil in both normal weight and obese subjects (p=0.274, 0.337, respectively). The results of this study shows that consumption of coconut oil compared to olive oil may have suppressive effect on hunger and desire to eat, may affect postprandial peptide YY levels differently and have no effect on postprandial energy expenditure. Keywords: resting metabolic rate, coconut oil, olive oil, obesity, medium chain fatty acids, peptide YY