Eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein, cocoa butter, and soybean oil did not differentially affect liver fat concentration in healthy participants: a 16-week randomized controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of cocoa butter (COB) with other dietary fats (palm olein and soybean oil) on liver fat concentration and cardiometabolic health outcomes in healthy adults.
Results Summary
The study found that cocoa butter did not differentially affect liver fat concentration, adipose tissue amounts, or most cardiometabolic health outcomes compared to other fats. However, it decreased body fat mass relative to palm olein and had inconsistent effects on serum lipids.
Population
Healthy adults aged 20-45 with a BMI of 18.5-27.5 kg/m².
Effective Dosage
Test fats contributed 20% of total energy intake (33% total fat).
Duration
16 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | liver fat concentration | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #1 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | visceral adipose tissue (VAT) | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #2 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSCAT) | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #3 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | obesity indexes | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #4 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | blood pressure | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #5 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | liver enzymes | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #6 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | leptin | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #7 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | fasting glucose | healthy participants | - | did not affect | #8 |
soybean oil (SBO) diet | decrease | body fat mass | healthy participants | - | decreased | #9 |
cocoa butter (COB) diet | decrease | body fat mass | healthy participants | - | decreased | #10 |
soybean oil (SBO) diet | decrease | serum total cholesterol (TC) | healthy participants | -0.57 (-0.94, -0.20) mmol/L | decreased | #11 |
soybean oil (SBO) diet | decrease | LDL cholesterol | healthy participants | -0.37 (-0.68, -0.07) mmol/L | decreased | #12 |
soybean oil (SBO) diet | decrease | TC:HDL cholesterol ratio | healthy participants | -0.42 (-0.73, -0.11) mmol/L | decreased | #13 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | HDL cholesterol | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #14 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | TAG | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #15 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | apoA1 | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #16 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | apoB | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #17 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | apoB:apoA1 ratio | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #18 |
eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) | no change | fecal free fatty acids (FFAs) | healthy participants | - | No diet differences were observed on | #19 |
cocoa butter (COB) diet | decrease | fecal free fatty acid pentadecanoic acid (15:0) | healthy participants | - | lower | #20 |
BACKGROUND: Effects of dietary fat quality on liver fat remain to be elucidated. Inconsistent evidence may be influenced by fatty acid saturation, chain-length, and regio-specificity within triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein (POo), cocoa butter (COB), and soybean oil (SBO) on liver fat concentration in healthy participants. Secondary outcomes included visceral (VAT) and abdominal subcutaneous (aSCAT) adipose tissue, plus other obesity and cardiometabolic health outcomes. METHODS: Eighty-three healthy participants (20-45 y, BMI 18.5-27.5 kg/m2) commenced and 64 completed a 16-wk randomized parallel intervention, preceded by a 2-wk run-in. Participants consumed identical eucaloric background diets differing in test fats [contributing 20% total energy intake (%E)], providing 33%E total fat with the following ratios for PUFAs/SFAs/MUFAs: POo, 4.2/13.5/15%E; SBO, 14.4/8.8/9.4%E; COB, 2.3/19.5/11%E. Liver fat and abdominal adiposity were measured at weeks 0 and 16 using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging; all other outcomes were measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 wk. RESULTS: Fat quality did not affect liver fat concentration, VAT, aSCAT, obesity indexes, blood pressure, liver enzymes, leptin, or fasting glucose. Body fat mass decreased with SBO and COB compared with POo. SBO decreased serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, and TC:HDL cholesterol relative to POo [estimated marginal mean (95% CI) differences: -0.57 (-0.94, -0.20) mmol/L; -0.37 (-0.68, -0.07) mmol/L; and -0.42 (-0.73, -0.11) mmol/L, respectively]. No diet differences were observed on HDL cholesterol, TAG, apoA1, apoB, apoB:apoA1, or fecal free fatty acids (FFAs), except for lower FFA pentadecanoic acid (15:0) with COB than with SBO and POo. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy adults, when consumed as part of eucaloric typical Australian diets, 3 different dietary fat sources did not differentially affect liver fat concentration and amounts of adipose tissue. Effects on serum lipids were inconsistent across lipid profiles. The findings must be confirmed in metabolically impaired individuals before recommendations can be made.