Volume 91, Issue 2, February (2004), pp. 245-252 © The Author 2004
doi:10.1079/BJN20031047

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The acute effects of olive oil v. cream on postprandial thermogenesis and substrate oxidation in postmenopausal women

M. J. Soares¹, S. J. Cummings², J. C. L. Mamo¹, M. Kenrick¹, L. S. Piers^3
1Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U 1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
²Department of Human Movement and Exercise Science, University of Western Australia, 151 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
³Menzies School of Health Research, Tiwi, Northern Territory 0810, Australia and Health Surveillance and Evaluation Section, Department of Human Services, Government of Victoria, Level 18, 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia

 (Received 2 May 2003–Revised 25 September 2003–Accepted 10 October 2003)

The influence of the source of dietary fat on postprandial thermogenesis and substrate oxidation rates, was examined in twelve postmenopausal women aged 57–73 years, with BMI 21·9–38·3 kg/m². A single blind, randomised, paired comparison of two high-fat, isoenergetic, mixed test meals was conducted. The major source of fat was either cream (CREAM) or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). RMR, diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and substrate oxidation rates over 5 h were measured by indirect calorimetry. There were no differences in body weight, RMR, fasting carbohydrate or fat oxidation rates between the two occasions. DIT (EVOO 97 (sd 46) v. CREAM 76 (sd 69) kJ/5 h and EVOO 5·2 (sd 2·5) v. CREAM 4·1 (sd 3·7)% energy) did not differ between the two test meals. The postprandial increase in carbohydrate oxidation rates, relative to their respective fasting values (ΔCOX), was significantly lower following the EVOO meal (EVOO 10·6 (sd 8·3) v. CREAM 17·5 (sd 10) g/5 h; paired t test, P=0·023), while postprandial fat oxidation rates (ΔFOX) were significantly higher (EVOO 0·0 (sd 4·4) v. CREAM -3·6 (sd 4·0) g/5 h; P=0·028). In the eight obese subjects, however, DIT was significantly higher following the EVOO meal (EVOO 5·1 (sd 2·0) v. CREAM 2·5 (sd 2·9) %; P=0·01). This was accompanied by a significantly lower ΔCOX (EVOO 10·9 (sd 9·9) v. CREAM 17·3 (sd 10·5) g/5 h; P=0·03) and significantly higher ΔFOX (EVOO 0·11 (sd 4·4) v. CREAM −4·1 (sd 4·5) g/5 h, P=0·034). The present study showed that olive oil significantly promoted postprandial fat oxidation and stimulated DIT in abdominally obese postmenopausal women.

Keywords:
Thermogenesis, Fat oxidation, Olive oil, Monounsaturated fatty acid, Obesity, Postmenopausal

Abbreviations:
CREAM, cream-rich meal, DIT, diet-induced thermogenesis, EVOO, extra virgin olive oil-rich meal