Cocoa butter, palm olein and liver fat in healthy adults
What it found
Eating cocoa butter or palm olein for 16 weeks made no difference to liver fat compared with soybean oil in healthy adults.
Cocoa butter and soybean oil led to slightly less body fat than palm olein.
What they found
Studies in people
Liver fat unchanged
All three fats led to about the same amount of liver fat after 16 weeks. There was also no difference between groups in belly fat stored around organs or under the skin.
Body fat differences
People eating cocoa butter or soybean oil lost a small amount of body fat compared with those eating palm olein. The cocoa butter group lost about 1.18 kg more body fat than the palm olein group by week 16.
Cholesterol levels varied
Soybean oil lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared with palm olein. Cocoa butter did not change these blood fats differently from palm olein.
Blood sugar and pressure
Fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver enzymes stayed about the same across all three diet groups over the 16 weeks.
Fat passed in stool
People eating cocoa butter passed slightly less of a specific fat called pentadecanoic acid in their stool than those on the other two diets. Total fat in stool was similar across all groups.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that cocoa butter, palm olein, and soybean oil did not change liver fat or belly fat differently when eaten as part of a balanced diet by healthy adults.
- They note that effects on blood fats were mixed depending on which measure was checked.
- The authors advise that these findings need to be tested in people who already have metabolic problems before any dietary advice can be given.
How it was done
Scientists wanted to know if the type of fat people eat changes how much fat builds up in their liver. Earlier studies gave mixed results, possibly because fats differ in how their building blocks are arranged.
Eighty-three healthy adults aged 20 to 45 years were randomly assigned to one of three diets for 16 weeks. Each diet provided the same total calories but used either cocoa butter, palm olein, or soybean oil as the main test fat. The test fats made up 20% of daily energy intake.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only included healthy adults aged 20 to 45 years.
- It cannot show what happens in older people or those who already have conditions like fatty liver disease or diabetes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Sydney, Australia; University of Adelaide, Australia
The paper
- Title
- Eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein, cocoa butter, and soybean oil did not differentially affect liver fat concentration in healthy participants: a 16-week randomized controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Stonehouse W, Sergi D, Benassi-Evans B, et al (2021). Eucaloric diets enriched in palm olein, cocoa butter, and soybean oil did not differentially affect liver fat concentration in healthy participants: a 16-week randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqaa347Free full textPubMed 33381795DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error