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The amount and types of fatty acids acutely affect insulin, glycemic and gastrointestinal peptide responses but not satiety in metabolic syndrome subjects

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Abstract

Purpose

Limited clinical evidence is available on the effects of amount and types of dietary fats on postprandial insulinemic and gastrointestinal peptide responses in metabolic syndrome subjects. We hypothesized that meals enriched with designated: (1) amount of fats (50 vs 20 g), (2) fats with differing fatty acid composition (saturated, SFA; monounsaturated, MUFA or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFA) would affect insulinemic and gastrointestinal peptide releases in metabolic syndrome subjects.

Methods

Using a randomized, crossover and double-blinded design, 15 men and 15 women with metabolic syndrome consumed high-fat meals enriched with SFA, MUFA or n-6 PUFA, or a low-fat/high-sucrose (SUCR) meal. C-peptide, insulin, glucose, gastrointestinal peptides and satiety were measured up to 6 h.

Results

As expected, SUCR meal induced higher C-peptide (45 %), insulin (45 %) and glucose (49 %) responses compared with high-fat meals regardless of types of fatty acids (P < 0.001). Interestingly, incremental area under the curve (AUC0-120min) for glucagon-like peptide-1 was higher after SUCR meal compared with MUFA (27 %) and n-6 PUFA meals (23 %) (P = 0.01). AUC0-120min for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide was higher after SFA meal compared with MUFA (23 %) and n-6 PUFA meals (20 %) (P = 0.004). Significant meal x time interaction (P = 0.007) was observed for ghrelin, but not cholecystokinin and satiety.

Conclusions

The amount of fat regardless of the types of fatty acids affects insulin and glycemic responses. Both the amount and types of fatty acids acutely affect the gastrointestinal peptide release in metabolic syndrome subjects, but not satiety.

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Abbreviations

SFA:

Saturated fatty acids

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acids

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

SUCR:

High sucrose/low fat

GLP-1:

Glucagon-like peptide-1

GIP:

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide

CCK:

Cholecystokinin

AUC:

Area under the curve

VAS:

Visual analogue scale

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Acknowledgments

We thank MPOB and director general of MPOB for the study funding and permission to publish this manuscript. Our gratitude goes to Prof. Gary Frost in reviewing the manuscript. We also thank the staff and students from Nutrition Unit, MPOB for their help in this study. We are grateful to the subjects for their participation. This study was supported by a grant from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, and by High-Impact Research grant, UM.C/HIR/MOHE/MED/11(H-20001-E000043) from the Ministry of Higher Education and University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Author’s contribution

Teng KT. designed the research protocol; Teng KT. and Chang CY conducted the research including subject recruitment and postprandial challenges, analyzed data and wrote the paper. Teng KT, Chang CY, Kanthimathi MS, Nesaretnam K and Tan ATB contributed to manuscript writing. Teng KT had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya Centre for Proteomics Research (UMCPR), University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Chee-Yan Chang & M. S. Kanthimathi

  2. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Alexander Tong-Boon Tan

  3. Product Development and Advisory Services, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, No. 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Kalanithi Nesaretnam & Kim-Tiu Teng

Authors
  1. Chee-Yan Chang
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  2. M. S. Kanthimathi
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  3. Alexander Tong-Boon Tan
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  4. Kalanithi Nesaretnam
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  5. Kim-Tiu Teng
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Correspondence to Kim-Tiu Teng.

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Conflict of interest

Teng KT and Nesaretnam K are providing consulting services to Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). Tan ATB, Kanthimathi MS and Chang CY have no conflict of interest.

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Chang, CY., Kanthimathi, M.S., Tan, A.TB. et al. The amount and types of fatty acids acutely affect insulin, glycemic and gastrointestinal peptide responses but not satiety in metabolic syndrome subjects. Eur J Nutr 57, 179–190 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1307-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1307-9

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