Palm olein, olive oil and lard after a high-fat meal
What it found
In 10 healthy men, a high-fat meal made with palm olein or olive oil raised blood fats more than one made with lard.
The type of fat did not change blood sugar, insulin or the inflammatory markers measured.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood fats after eating
Blood levels of triacylglycerol were lower after the lard meal than after the olive oil and palm olein meals.
Free fatty acids
The fall in non-esterified free fatty acids was greater after lard than after olive oil, matching the pattern seen for triacylglycerol.
Blood sugar and insulin
The size of the change in blood sugar and insulin did not differ with the type of fat eaten.
Inflammatory markers
Levels of interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta and leptin were not changed by the type of dietary fat.
Interleukin-1 beta over time
Interleukin-1 beta in the blood did change over time after all three high-fat meals, but this was not linked to the type of fat.
Other findings
Why lard differed
The authors suggest the physical features and changes in the structure of triacylglycerols in lard may explain the smaller rise in blood fats compared with palm olein.
What the authors conclude
“A high fat load but not the type of fats influences concentrations of plasma IL-1β over time but had no effect on other pro-inflammatory markers tested in the postprandial state.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say a high fat load, but not the type of fats, influences concentrations of plasma IL-1β over time.
- They report that the type of fat had no effect on the other pro-inflammatory markers tested in the postprandial state.
How it was done
After a meal, high levels of fat in the blood can reduce insulin sensitivity and trigger inflammation, which may play a role in heart disease.
Ten healthy men took part in a randomised, crossover, single-blind study. Each ate a high-fat meal (50 g fat) rich in palmitic acid from palm olein or lard, or rich in oleic acid from virgin olive oil, and their blood was measured afterwards.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The study was small, with only 10 healthy men, so the results may not apply to other people.
- It only looked at the hours after a single meal, not at long-term health effects.
The paper
- Title
- Palm olein and olive oil cause a higher increase in postprandial lipemia compared with lard but had no effect on plasma glucose, insulin and adipocytokines
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Teng KT, Nagapan G, Cheng HM, Nesaretnam K (2011). Palm olein and olive oil cause a higher increase in postprandial lipemia compared with lard but had no effect on plasma glucose, insulin and adipocytokines. Lipids. doi:10.1007/s11745-010-3516-yPubMed 21197586DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error