In this study, researchers from Japan compared alpha-linolenic acid-enriched diacylglycerol (ALA-DAG) consumption with alpha-linolenic acid-enriched triacylglycerol (ALA-TAG) consumption in humans and examined their effects on fat metabolism and body weight. Their results, which included the effects of acylglycerol structure on fat metabolism in humans, were published in the journal Nutrition Research.

• Fat metabolism is an essential consideration for obesity.
• ALA-DAG, which occurs as ALA esterifies to 1,3-diacyl-sn-glycerol (1,3-DAG), has beneficial effects on fat metabolism and body weight compared with ALA-TAG.
• Moreover, compared with ALA-TAG, ALA-DAG enhances beta-oxidation activity in the small intestine and liver of rodents.
• The researchers conducted a randomized double-blind cross-over trial in 17 normal and moderately obese men and women (BMI: 25.7 ± 2.0 kilogram/square meter, mean ± SD).
• Each participant was assigned to a 4-week intervention period with 2.5 g/day of ALA-DAG or ALA-TAG consumption, followed by a 4-week washout period between consumption of each diet.
• They measured visceral fat area using bioelectrical impedance analysis.
• ALA-DAG consumption significantly increased dietary fat oxidation, which was assessed based on the 13CO2 recovery rate in the breath.
• In addition, ALA-DAG consumption significantly decreased the visceral fat area compared with ALA-TAG (102.9 ± 51.9 cm2 and 110.9 ± 51.7 cm2, respectively; P < .05).

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that ALA-DAG consumption might be useful for preventing obesity.

Read the full article at this link.

Journal Reference:

Ando Y, Saito S, Miura H, Osaki N, Katsuragi Y. CONSUMPTION OF ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID-ENRICHED DIACYLGLYCEROL INDUCES INCREASE IN DIETARY FAT OXIDATION COMPARED WITH ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID-ENRICHED TRIACYLGLYCEROL: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND TRIAL. Nutrition Research. December 2017;48:85–92. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.10.012