Vegetable oil emulsion and appetite in short-term studies
What it found
A vegetable oil emulsion was linked to a small drop in how much people ate at later meals, but study results varied so widely that no firm conclusion can be drawn.
The studies were in people.
What they found
Studies in people
Appetite suppressant effect
Combining the studies showed a small appetite suppressant effect of the emulsion compared with control on how much people ate at a test meal at about 4, 12 and 36 hours after treatment.
Results varied widely
The study results differed a lot from each other, which the authors say questions how well the combined finding can predict real outcomes.
What may explain variation
Differences between results seemed related to how processed the product was, the dose used, and especially the year the study was done.
No effect after 2003
The only consistent finding was no effect on food intake 4 hours after the preload in studies carried out after 2003.
What the authors conclude
“These results suggest a small but inconsistent appetite suppressant effect of the vegetable oil emulsion.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the results suggest a small but inconsistent appetite suppressant effect of the vegetable oil emulsion.
- They state that due to the large heterogeneity, no definitive conclusions can be drawn.
How it was done
Several short-term studies had looked at whether a vegetable oil emulsion affects how much food people eat afterwards, but the findings did not agree.
They gathered all known studies on the emulsion and food intake. Seven were published, details of 5 unpublished studies came from investigators or sponsors, and 4 could not be obtained because of confidentiality. The available data were combined in meta-analyses.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The studies were short term, so they cannot show what happens over longer periods.
- The results varied so widely between studies that the combined effect cannot be relied on as a firm answer.
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 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error