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Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil Consumption as Part of a Weight Loss Diet Does Not Lead to an Adverse Metabolic Profile When Compared to Olive Oil

College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University and New York Obesity Research Center, St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital (M.-P.S.-O.), New York, New York
Department of Nutrition Sciences (M.-P.S.-O., A.B., L.L.T.G.), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
General Clinical Research Center (B.D.), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Address correspondence to: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D, New York Obesity Research Center, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 14D, New York, NY 10025 [Present Address]. E-mail: ms2554{at}columbia.edu

Objective: Medium chain triglyceride (MCT) consumption may have a beneficial impact on weight management, however, some studies point to a negative impact of MCT oil consumption on cardiovascular disease risk. This study examined the effects of MCT oil consumption, as part of a weight loss diet, on metabolic risk profile compared to olive oil.

Design: Thirty-one men and women, age 19–50 y and body mass index 27–33 kg/m², completed this randomized, controlled, 16-week weight loss program. Oils were consumed at a level of 12% of the subjects’ prescribed energy intakes in the form of muffins and liquid oil.

Results: After controlling for body weight, there was a significant effect of time on fasting serum glucose (P = 0.0177) and total cholesterol (P = 0.0386) concentrations, and on diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.0413), with reductions in these variables occurring over time; there was no time-by-diet interaction for any of the parameters studied. Two of the 3 subjects in the MCT oil group with evidence of the metabolic syndrome at baseline did not have metabolic syndrome at endpoint. In the olive oil group, 6 subjects had the metabolic syndrome at baseline; 2 subjects no longer had metabolic syndrome at endpoint, 1 person developed metabolic syndrome, and 4 subjects did not have any change in their metabolic syndrome status.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that MCT oil can be incorporated into a weight loss program without fear of adversely affecting metabolic risk factors. Distinction should be made regarding chain length when it comes to discussing the effects of saturated fats on metabolic risk factors.

Key words: medium chain triglycerides, olive oil, weight loss, overweight, lipids, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome