All Fats Create Equal Satiety

LONDONNo matter what type of fatsaturated, polyunsaturated or  monounsaturatedfeelings of fullness remain the same, according to a study published in the Nutrition Journal (2010 May 24;9(1):24). Researchers found the satiety between high-fat meals which differed in saturation profile were similar in lean, healthy men.

Researchers noted high-fat diets have long been associated with weight gain and obesity, and the weak satiety response elicited in response to dietary lipids is likely to play a role. Previous studies have shown suppression of appetite and food intake diminishes with high fat relative to either high protein or carbohydrate meals. While some evidence found the satiating capacity of lipids may be modulated when physicochemical properties are altered, studies investigating the effect of lipid saturation on appetite have generated inconsistent findings. Therefore, researchers investigated the effects of changes in fatty acid saturation on post-meals satiety and energy intake.

High-fat test breakfasts containing 26g lipid were given to 18 healthy, lean men in a three-treatment randomized cross-over design, each treatment separated by a washout of at least three days. The two-muffin breakfasts were either high in saturated (SFA, 65 percent of total fat), polyunsaturated (PUFA, 76 percent) or monounsaturated (MUFA, 76 percent) fatty acids. Participants rated appetite sensations using visual analogue scales (VAS) to assess palatability immediately following the meals, and hunger and fullness prior to the high-fat breakfast and throughout the day. Energy intake was measured by covert weighing of a lunch meal, which was served 3 and a half hours after the test breakfast, and from which the participants were allowed to eat as much as they desired

Researchers found no difference in VAS ratings of pleasantness, visual appearance, smell, taste, aftertaste and overall palatability between the three high-fat test breakfasts. However, there was also no differential effect of the three treatments on ratings of hunger, fullness, satisfaction or prospective consumption during the 3 and a half hours following the breakfast meal and over the full six-hour experiment. Energy and macronutrient intake at lunch also did not differ between treatments (P>0.05). The maximum difference in energy intake between treatments was less than 2 percent.