Canola and coconut oil meals in people at heart risk
What it found
In 29 older adults with a higher risk of heart and metabolic disease, meals made with canola oil raised blood triglycerides and IL-6 more than meals made with coconut oil.
The amount of fat in the meal also mattered.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood triglycerides
Blood triglycerides rose more after canola oil meals than after coconut oil meals. They also rose more after meals with 50 grams of oil than after meals with 25 grams.
Blood fats after eating
After coconut oil, levels of lauric and myristic acid were higher in the blood. After canola oil, levels of oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid were higher.
Blood sugar and insulin
Blood sugar and insulin rose more after the lower-fat meals than after the higher-fat meals. The type of oil did not change these responses.
IL-6 inflammation marker
The inflammatory marker IL-6 rose after all meals and was higher after canola oil than after coconut oil.
Free fatty acids
Free fatty acids in the blood fell more after the lower-fat meals than after the higher-fat meals.
Artery stiffness
Measures of artery stiffness changed over the 6 hours after eating, but the amount and type of oil made no difference.
What the authors conclude
“Canola and coconut oil induced different metabolic responses, and the manner and strength of the effects differed depending on the parameter.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that in adults with a risk phenotype for cardiovascular diseases, both the meal fat amount and its fatty acid composition affect cardiometabolic risk factors.
- They say canola and coconut oil induced different metabolic responses, and the manner and strength of the effects differed depending on the parameter.
- They call for more well-designed and highly standardized studies on the acute and longer-term metabolic effects of plant oils used in modern cuisine.
How it was done
The authors wanted to compare the immediate effects of canola and coconut oil in adults with increased cardiometabolic risk, such as abdominal obesity and older age, because these people have a stronger response after eating. Longer-term effects of these fats are well studied, but the effects right after a meal are still unclear.
29 men and women aged 60 to 80 with a higher risk of heart and metabolic disease ate four mixed meals on separate days, about 14 days apart. Each meal contained 25 or 50 grams of canola or coconut oil. Blood was sampled before the meal and every 0.5 to 1 hour for 6 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a 6-hour study in older adults with a higher risk of heart and metabolic disease, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- It looked only at short-term effects after single meals, not at what happens with long-term use.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops e. V. (UFOP) (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Bonn, Germany; University Hospital Bonn, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Postprandial Responses to Meals Enriched With Canola or Coconut Oil in Men and Women With a Risk Phenotype for Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Randomized Crossover Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Kienēs HF, Diekmann C, Schiemann T, et al (2025). Postprandial Responses to Meals Enriched With Canola or Coconut Oil in Men and Women With a Risk Phenotype for Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Molecular nutrition & food research. doi:10.1002/mnfr.70147Free full textPubMed 40534325DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error