The effect of two iso-caloric meals containing equal amounts of fats with a different fat composition on the inflammatory and metabolic markers in apparently healthy volunteers.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the time-course of the postprandial appearance of macronutrient-induced inflammatory response. Our aim was to investigate the postprandial inflammatory and metabolic response following high fat, high caloric popular meals in apparently healthy participants.


METHODS
Fifty four apparently healthy normal weight volunteers (BMI of 25.9±0.9) were given two iso-caloric meals with similar amounts but different composition of fats: a meal high in monounsaturated fats (MUFA), and a meal high in saturated fat (SFA). Three main effects and the interactions between them were analyzed: the time (before and 2 and 4 hours following the meals), the meal (MUFA or SFA) and the gender.


RESULTS
The effect of time from the meal on hs-CRP level was highly significant (p=0.004). The highest responses were observed 2 hours after the meal (p=0.002). A statistically significant interaction was found between the time and the meal (p≤0.0001), which reflects the higher increase in hs-CRP values 2 hours after the SFA meal, with no effect by the MUFA meal. The white blood cell counts were affected significantly by the time (p≤0.0001) however, other inflammatory markers (fibrinogen, IL-6, TNFα, ICAM and VICAM) were not. All the metabolic markers (insulin, glucose, HOMA-R, QUICKI and triglycerides) were affected by the time (p≤0.0001), with no interactions observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Metabolic and modest inflammatory changes occur within a few hours after the ingestion of a high SFA meal in apparently healthy adults.
The Departments of Diet and Nutrition, The Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman St, Tel Aviv, Israel. olgaraz@tlvmc.gov.il.
Olga
O
Raz
Arie
A
Steinvil
Shlomo
S
Berliner
Tovit
T
Rosenzweig
Dan
D
Justo
Itzhak
I
Shapira