Overconsumption of fat is considered a major driver of the prevalence of obesity globally. While fat type and emulsification have been suggested to play roles in appetite control, very limited data exist. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of type and emulsification of fat on postprandial appetite responses. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in a 4-arm, randomised, crossover study. The net iAUC of hunger visual analogue scales (VAS) (mean ± SE) was observed higher with emulsified fat (-512 ± 137 cm × 300 min) than with non-emulsified fat (-785 ± 133 cm × 300 min) (p < 0.05), but the difference became insignificant over time. Compared to olive oil, coconut oil resulted in higher fullness VAS iAUC (olive oil: 1369 ± 306 cm × 600 min; coconut oil: 1786 ± 311 cm × 600 mi, p < 0.05). Findings from this study support the potential effects of fat in appetite regulation.
Keywords: Appetite; emulsification; fat; fatty acid; fullness; hunger.