Hypocaloric feeding in obese women: metabolic effects of medium-chain triglyceride substitution

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 326 - 330
• Main Authors: Yost, T J, Eckel, R H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01-02-1989; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; carbohydrate metabolism; cetogenese; cetogenesis; diet; dieta; dieta terapeutica; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Energy Intake; Female; femme; fluide; fluidos; fluids; Humans; ketogenesis; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; metabolisme des glucides; metabolismo de carbohidratos; mujeres; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - metabolism; overweight; regime alimentaire; regime therapeutique; sobrepeso; surpoids; therapeutic diets; trigliceridos; triglyceride; triglycerides; Triglycerides - administration & dosage; Triglycerides - pharmacology; Weight Loss; women; Human; Obesity; Diet therapy; Nitrogen balance; Female; Lipids; Biological effect; Medium chain; Triglyceride; Glycemia; Low calorie diet
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/49.2.326

Medium-chain (MCT) and long-chain (LCT) triglyceride diets were compared during and after 4 or 12 wk of hypocaloric feeding in obese women to determine the effects on weight loss, ketones, nitrogen balance, and insulin action. After a base-line euglycemic clamp, two groups ingested an 800-kcal/d liquid diet with 30% of calories as LCT (group 1) or 6% of calories as LCT and 24% as MCT (group 2). Rate and amount of weight loss, serum ketones, and N balance were not different between groups. However, the subjects in group 2 (MCT) demonstrated an increase in glucose requirement to maintain euglycemia during the clamp after weight loss (delta 0.18 +/- 0.13 mmol.m-2.min-1) whereas subjects in group 1 (LCT) had a diminished requirement (delta -0.12 +/- 0.10, p = 0.036). Thus, an 800-kcal diet containing 24% of calories as MCT is safe and enhances insulin action but fails to increase the rate or amount of weight loss.