Dietary Medium-Chain Triacylglycerols Suppress Accumulation of Body Fat in a Double-Blind, Controlled Trial in Healthy Men and Women

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 131; no. 11; pp. 2853 - 2859
• Main Authors: Tsuji, Hiroaki, Kasai, Michio, Takeuchi, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Masahiro, Okazaki, Mitsuko, Kondo, Kazuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.11.2001; American Institute of Nutrition; American Society for Nutritional Sciences
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue - drug effects; administration & dosage; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Constitution; Body fat; Body Mass Index; body weight; Body Weight - drug effects; Diet; Double-Blind Method; drug effects; energy; Energy Metabolism; fat intake; Fatty acids; Female; Humans; ingestion; long chain triacylglycerols; long term effects; Male; Medical sciences; medium chain triacylglycerols; Men; Metabolic diseases; metabolism; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Obesity; pharmacology; subcutaneous fat; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - administration & dosage; Triglycerides - metabolism; Triglycerides - pharmacology; Women; WHR; fat intake; AST; PUFA; body mass index; medium-chain triacylglycerols; ALT; WC; CT; LCT; humans; obesity; body fat; BMI; γ-GTP; MCT; Human; Body mass index; Obesity; Metabolic disorder; Triacylglycerol; Double blind study; Female; Supplemented diet; Medium chain; Feeding
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/131.11.2853

We investigated the effect of long-term ingestion of dietary medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCT) on body weight and fat in humans. Using a double-blind, controlled protocol, we assessed the potential health benefits of MCT compared with long-chain triacylglycerols (LCT) in 78 healthy men and women [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23 kg/m2: n = 26 (MCT), n = 30 (LCT); BMI < 23 kg/m2: n = 15 (MCT), n = 7 (LCT)]. Changes in anthropometric variables, body weight and body fat during the 12-wk MCT treatment period were compared with those in subjects consuming the LCT diet. The subjects were asked to consume 9218 kJ/d and 60 g/d of total fat. The energy, fat, protein and carbohydrate intakes did not differ significantly between the groups. Body weight and body fat in both groups had decreased by wk 4, 8 and 12 of the study. However, in the subjects with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2, the extent of the decrease in body weight was significantly greater in the MCT group than in the LCT group. In subjects with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2, the loss of body fat in the MCT group (−3.86 ± 0.3 kg) was significantly greater than that in the LCT group (−2.75 ± 0.2 kg) at 8 wk. In addition, in subjects with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2, the decrease in the area of subcutaneous fat in the MCT group was significantly greater than that in the LCT group at wk 4, 8 and 12. These results suggest that the MCT diet may reduce body weight and fat in individuals (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2) more than the LCT diet.