The effect of coconut oil on serum lipids in children recovering from malnutrition - abstract

ABSTRACT

In order to achieve high calorie intakes, children recovering from malnutrition in our wards are given feeds containing oil in which 60 percent of the total calories is derived from fat. Fasting serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were measured in two groups of 20 children. In one group the diet contained arachis oil and in the other group, coconut oil. The protein, carbohydrate and fat content of the diets was the same so that they differ only in the type of fat. The calorie intakes and the growth rates of the two groups were the same. It has been shown previously that recovered children who had received the arachis oil diet throughout treatment had very low concentration of fasting serum triglycerides. This was confirmed and was found also in the children receiving coconut oil, but these children had higher concentrations. However in each group there were some children with fatty liver on admission to hospital. When the group were sub-divided into those children with and without fatty liver, it was found that the increased concentrations of serum lipids early in treatment with coconut oil, occurred only in the children with fatty liver, suggesting different effects of the 2 oils on the rate of mobilization of fat from the liver (AU)