Quantification of Ketosis After Intake of Coconut Oil and Caprylic Acid-With and Without Glucose-After a 12-hour Fast

Karolinska Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aged

Treatments: Other: Sunflower oil; Dietary Supplement: Caprylic acid; Other: Coconut oil; Other: Glucose

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03904433

CC1

Details and patient eligibility

About

In a cross-over design, 15 participants, age 65-75, will be tested in six different arms in a randomised order. After a 12-hour fast participants will be served 2.5 dl coffee with 15 g cream + 30-50 g of different fatty acids, with or without 50 g glucose. Blood ketones and other biomarkers will be measured during 4 hours.

Full description

In the metabolic state ketosis, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetoacetate are synthesised from fatty acids in the liver, resulting in higher circulating levels. Ketosis can be induced by fasting or adherence to a low-carb-high-fat diet, but also by intake of-at least some-medium-chain-triglycerides (MCT). MCT are built from fatty acids with a chain of 6-12 carbon atoms. Caprylic acid (C8) is well known to be ketogenic, but the effect of lauric acid (C12)-constituting about 50% of coconut oil-is less clear.

The aim of this study is to assess ketosis, as a combined effect of an extended overnight fast, and intake of coconut oil or C8, and to study how ketosis is affected by simultaneous glucose intake. Sunflower oil is used as control, expected to not break fasting ketosis, although not being ketogenic in itself. Some sunflower oil is also added to C8 to make that arm isocaloric with coconut oil, with a roughly similar proportion of MCT.

Coffee with cream will be used as a vehicle, and although coffee has been reported to be mildly ketogenic, this effect is expected to be negligible and equally distributed between arms.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Daily consumption of coffee
• Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Smoker
• Weight <50 kg
• Diagnosed diabetes
• History of heart disease
• History of disease related to internal organs or metabolism
• Experience of "sensitive gut", or known intolerance to the test ingredients
• Medication expected to affect glucose- or lipid-metabolism
• Fasting during study or one month before
• High intensity physical activity > 3 times/week
• Dementia
• Severe psychiatric conditions
• Hb<125 g/L
• Participation in other lifestyle intervention last 6 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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15 participants in 6 patient groups

1. Sunflower oil

Experimental group

Description:

Sunflower oil (30 g)

Treatment:

Other: Sunflower oil

2. Caprylic acid

Experimental group

Description:

Caprylic acid (20 g) + Sunflower oil (10 g)

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Caprylic acid

Other: Sunflower oil

3. Caprylic acid + Glucose

Experimental group

Description:

Caprylic acid (20 g) + Sunflower oil (10 g) + Glucose (50 g)

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Caprylic acid

Other: Glucose

Other: Sunflower oil

4. Coconut oil

Experimental group

Description:

Coconut oil (30 g)

Treatment:

Other: Coconut oil

5. Coconut oil + Glucose

Experimental group

Description:

Coconut oil (30 g) + Glucose (50 g)

Treatment:

Other: Glucose

Other: Coconut oil

6. Coconut oil + Caprylic acid

Experimental group

Description:

Coconut oil (30 g) + Caprylic acid (20 g)

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Caprylic acid

Other: Coconut oil