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The InterSat Study

The InterSat Study: Interesterified Fats: Health Effects of Commercially Relevant Palmitic Versus Stearic Acid Rich Interesterified Fats

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04418102
Acronym
InterSat
Enrollment
51
Registered
2020-06-05
Start date
2020-02-01
Completion date
2022-08-25
Last updated
2023-04-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiometabolic Health

Keywords

Interesterified fat, Cardiometabolic health, Palmitic acid, Stearic acid, Vascular function, Postprandial lipaemia

Brief summary

In response to the removal of trans fats from our foods, the food industry now uses interesterified (IE) fats. Randomly interesterified (IE) fats rich in palmitic (Europe) and stearic (North America) acids are the most commonly used IE fats by the food industry. Despite their widespread use, there has been no published research on the acute and chronic cardio-metabolic health effects of the most commonly consumed palmitic and stearic acid rich IE fats. The aim of InterSat is to investigate the postprandial and chronic effects of a diet rich in IE fats on cardiometabolic health.

Detailed description

Choice of design: A randomised crossover study with two arms, each arm consisting of a 6-week dietary intervention, separated by a 3-week (minimum) washout period. Study population: Healthy adult snackers aged 35-65 years. 48 participants in total, 24 at each centre (see Locations). Locations: Metabolic Research Unit, Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus, King College London. Metabolic Research Unit Maastricht, Academic Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht University. Screening Assessment: Prospective participants will be selected based on the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria by the study management team. Recruitment will be done over the phone and via the Internet and emails and prospective participants will be booked in for their initial appointment to acquire baseline measurements. Study duration: A 2-week run-in period, two 6-week dietary interventions, and a 3-week (minimum) washout period. Dietary intervention: The InterSat intervention aims to provide 10% of total daily energy intake in the form of IE fat. These will be consumed in the form of muffins and spreads, designed to replace typically consumed snacks and spreads throughout the day. Energy requirements will be calculated using the Henry equation and physical activity levels (PAL). At the baseline visit, participants will have and anthropometric measures and fasted blood samples taken, and will be assessed for endothelial function via flow mediated dilation (FMD), after which they will be provided with enough muffins and spread for a 2-week period, as well a study booklet (containing instructions and a diary to log muffin and spread consumption). They will receive guidance on how to incorporate the muffins and spread into their diet. Food collection dates will be set, and participants are then free to leave. At the second visit (first snack collection visit), no physical measures are taken, but the empty tubs and muffin cases are collected, and the study booklet is checked by a researcher to ensure the participant is compliant to the intervention. Any issues should be discussed, and guidance given to increase compliance if necessary. Another snack collection visit is booked. At the end of the 6-week intervention, participants will undergo physical and blood sampling as well as FMD, as with the baseline testing day. After a 3-week (minimum) washout period, the same procedures occur for the other arm of the trial. Anthropometry: Weight, height, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, body fat will be taken using standard procedures, in duplicates by a trained researcher at all face to face appointments. Habitual food intake: Participants will complete the EPIC (European prospective investigation of cancer) food frequency questionnaire at the screening visit. They will also complete three 4-day diet diaries (one at the run-in period and one in each of the dietary intervention periods). Blood samples: Fasting blood samples will be collected from a superficial antecubital vein via venepuncture before and after each dietary intervention. Postprandial blood samples will be taken via cannulation in a subgroup (see Subgroup below) for an 8-hour postprandial test day. Participants will be asked to record and monitor the following information: Amount of muffins and spread consumed (study booklet). Habitual intake (4-day diet diaries). Subgroup: A subset (n = 24) of participants will undergo a postprandial test day at the baseline and 6-week points of each intervention arm. After baseline samples (anthropometrics, blood samples, FMD) are taken, participants will consume a breakfast containing a large bolus of the IE fat they are assigned to. Blood samples will be taken over an 8-hour testing period and FMD will be taken 2 more times. Liver fat will be assessed via MRI imaging (Maastricht only).

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPalmitic acid rich interesterified fat

Muffins and spread containing the palmitic acid rich IE fat will be consumed daily for a 6-week dietary intervention period

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTStearic acid rich interesterified fat

Muffins and spread containing the palmitic acid rich IE fat will be consumed daily for a 6-week dietary intervention period.

Sponsors

Maastricht University
CollaboratorOTHER
King's College London
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Randomised controlled trial with 2x6 week interventions separated by a 3 week washout.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
35 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Healthy (free of diagnosed diseases listed in

Exclusion criteria

). * Able to give informed consent. * Able to give informed consent. * Accessible veins on arms as determined by examination at screening

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change from baseline in fasting total:HDL cholesterol ratio6 weeksTotal to high-density lipoprotein (Total:HDL) cholesterol ratio

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Endothelial functionFasting, 270 min and 450 min following consumption of breakfast containing IE fatsFlow mediated dilation
Postprandial glucose homeostasis (Incremental area under the curve (iAUC) 0-240 min and 0-480 min)Fasting, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min, 240 min, 300 min, 360 min, 420 min, 480 min following consumption of breakfast containing IE fats.Glucose, Insulin, C-peptide, Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA)
Fasting Insulin sensitivityFasting, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min, 240 min, 300 min, 360 min, 420 min, 480 min following consumption of breakfast containing IE fats.Revised Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (RQUICKI)
Change from baseline in liver fat (Maastricht only)6 weeksMRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
Change from baseline in fasting total cholesterol6 weeksFasting plasma total cholesterol concentrations
Change from baseline in fasting LDL cholesterol6 weeksFasting plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations
Postprandial lipaemiaFasting, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min, 240 min, 300 min, 360 min, 420 min, 480 min following consumption of breakfast containing IE fats.Plasma triglyceride concentrations
Change from baseline in fasting apoA16 weeksFasting plasma apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1),
Change from baseline in fasting apoB6 weeksFasting plasma apolipoprotein B (apo B)
Change from baseline in plasma total fatty acid composition6 weeksFasting plasma total fatty acid composition
Change from baseline in fasting glucose6 weeksFasting plasma glucose concentrations
Change from baseline in fasting insulin6 weeksFasting plasma insulin concentrations
Change from baseline in fasting Lp(a)6 weeksFasting plasma lipoprotein a (Lp(a))

Countries

Netherlands, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 8, 2026