ACUTE EFFECT OF COCONUT OIL CONSUMPTION DOES NOT AFFECT POSTPRANDIAL HUMAN CYTOKINES IN HEALTHY OVERWEIGHT WOMEN

?The coconut oil is popularly recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties, but research has shown conflicting results. Thus, our aim was to assess the postprandial inflammatory response of moderate coconut oil intake. We evaluated the acute consumption of a breakfast, offered in a single day, containing 25 mL of coconut oil (test) or 25 mL of olive oil (control)on postprandial serum inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN-γ and TNF) in healthy overweight women. No change was observed in relation to the effect of fatty meals, the time and the interaction of both factors (meal x time). Thus, despite being a saturated fat source, coconut oil consumption did not promote an inflammatory response. Further studies are needed considering a larger intervention period to check long-term effect.