Small particle size lipid emulsions, satiety and energy intake in lean men

Lipid emulsions have been proposed to suppress hunger and food intake. Whilst there is no consensus on optimal structural properties or mechanism of action, small particle size (small-PS) stable emulsions may have greatest efficacy. Fabuless®, a commercial lipid emulsion reported in some studies to decrease energy intake (EI), is a small-PS, ‘hard’ fat emulsion comprising highly saturated palm oil base (PS, 82 nm). To determine whether small-PS dairy lipid emulsions can enhance satiety, firstly, we investigated 2 ‘soft’ fat dairy emulsions generated using dairy and soy emulsifying agents (PS, 114 nm and 121 nm) and a non-emulsified dairy control. Secondly, we investigated a small-PS palmolein based ‘hard’ fat emulsion (fractionated palm oil, PS, 104 nm) and non-emulsified control. This was a 6 arm, randomized, cross-over study in 18 lean men, with test lipids delivered in a breakfast meal: (i) Fabuless® emulsion (FEM); (ii) dairy emulsion with dairy emulsifier (DEDE); (iii) dairy emulsion with soy lecithin emulsifier (DESE); (iv) dairy control (DCON); (v) palmolein emulsion with dairy emulsifier (PEDE); (vi) palmolein control (PCON). Participants rated postprandial appetite sensations using visual analogue scales (VAS), and ad libitum energy intake (EI) was measured at a lunch meal 3.5 h later. Dairy lipid emulsions did not significantly alter satiety ratings or change EI relative to dairy control (DEDE, 4035 kJ; DESE, 3904 kJ; DCON, 3985 kJ; P > 0.05) nor did palm oil based emulsion relative to non-emulsified control (PEDE, 3902 kJ; PCON, 3973 kJ; P > 0.05). There was no evidence that small-PS dairy lipid emulsions or commercial Fabuless altered short-term appetite or food intake in lean adults.