Lard, palm oil and fish oil: blood fats after a meal
What it found
In eight healthy men, a meal made with lard, palm oil or partially hydrogenated fish oil produced similar rises in blood triglycerides, cholesterol and free fatty acids over eight hours.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood triglycerides
The rise in blood triglycerides after each meal was not significantly different between lard, palm oil and partially hydrogenated fish oil. Triglycerides peaked at 2 hours and returned to fasting levels by 8 hours.
Cholesterol and free fatty acids
Total cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acid responses also showed no significant difference between the three meals. Free fatty acids dipped at 2 hours after all meals.
Long-chain fatty acids
Long-chain fatty acids (20 to 22 carbons) from the fish oil meal were not found in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fraction in large amounts, even though they made up 40% of the meal's fatty acids. The authors suggest this could be due to reduced absorption and increased breakdown of these fats.
Individual variation
There was large variation between individuals in their postprandial responses for triglycerides, TRL-triglycerides, cholesterol and free fatty acids.
What the authors conclude
- They say the postprandial response to partially hydrogenated fish oil was expected to be higher than to lard or palm oil, based on its fatty acid composition, but it was not.
- They suggest this could be because long-chain fatty acids are less absorbed and more oxidised.
- They advise that further studies should be done in other groups, such as people with diabetes or heart disease, who might respond differently.
How it was done
Most research on trans fats has looked at hydrogenated vegetable oils, but trans fats are also made from hydrogenated fish oil. The authors wanted to compare how these three solid fats affect blood fats right after a meal.
Eight healthy men with normal cholesterol ate three test meals, each containing 40 g of lard, palm oil or partially hydrogenated fish oil, in random order with two weeks between meals. Blood samples were taken before the meal and at 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study in eight healthy men, so the results may not apply to women, older people or those with health conditions.
- The study only looked at a single meal, so it cannot show the effects of eating these fats over time.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Dublin Institute of Technology, Republic of Ireland
The paper
- Title
- Acute postprandial effect of hydrogenated fish oil, palm oil and lard on plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acid metabolism in normocholesterolaemic males
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Cantwell MM, Flynn MA, Gibney MJ (2006). Acute postprandial effect of hydrogenated fish oil, palm oil and lard on plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acid metabolism in normocholesterolaemic males. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1079/bjn20051723Free full textPubMed 16571159DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error