Vegetable oil emulsion and short-term food intake across studies
What it found
A vegetable oil emulsion showed a small appetite-suppressing effect at about 4, 12 and 36 hours after taking it in people.
The results varied so much between studies that the authors say no firm conclusions can be drawn.
What they found
Studies in people
Appetite suppression over time
Compared with a control, the emulsion was linked to eating less at test meals around 4, 12 and 36 hours later. The smallest average drop in energy eaten was 0.53 MJ.
Results varied widely
The findings differed greatly from one study to another. This large variation makes it hard to predict what would happen in any new study.
Why results differed
Differences in how processed the product was, the dose given, and especially the year the study was done seemed to explain some of the variation. Even so, the results still varied a lot.
Recent studies at 4 hours
In studies done after 2003, the emulsion had no effect on how much people ate four hours later. This was the only consistent finding across the research.
What the authors conclude
- They say the vegetable oil emulsion has a small but inconsistent effect on reducing appetite.
- They note that the large differences between studies mean no definitive conclusions can be drawn.
How it was done
Earlier short-term studies on how a vegetable oil emulsion affects later eating gave mixed results. The authors wanted to look at all the studies together and see if study methods explained the differences.
They gathered data from seven published studies and five unpublished ones provided by researchers or sponsors. Four more unpublished studies could not be included because of confidentiality. They combined the available data using statistical methods.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Because the results varied so much between studies, they cannot reliably predict what will happen when someone eats this ingredient.
- These were short-term studies, so they cannot show what happens over weeks or months.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Queen's University, UK
The paper
- Title
- Review and meta-analysis of the short-term effects of a vegetable oil emulsion on food intake
- Type
- Meta-analysis
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Appleton KM, Smit HJ, Rogers PJ (2011). Review and meta-analysis of the short-term effects of a vegetable oil emulsion on food intake. Obesity reviews. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00861.xPubMed 21447117DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error