| In order to determine the impact of feeding coconut oil versus canola oil on plasma glucose homeostasis, a 60 days study was conducted with eighty female rats that were either treated with streptozotocin (STZ; n=40) to induce diabetes or with an equivalent volume of 3% sodium citrate vehicle (Control; n=40). Control and STZ rats were assigned to one of four treatment groups (n=10 rats per treatment) and fed a common cornstarch-casein based diet containing either canola oil (15% or 47%) or coconut oil (15% or 47%) for 60 days. At the termination of the study, rats were sacrificed and blood collected to determine glucose concentration. Gastrocnemius muscles were excised and examined for glucose and palmitate uptake. Compared to control rats, body weight and food consumption of STZ rats decreased (p<0.05) while water consumptions increased (P<0.05). The STZ rats also had higher blood glucose (P<0.05), while the rate of glucose and palmitate uptake were lower (P<0.05) than control rats. Dietary treatment among the rats showed that 15% and 47% calories from fat had no effect on serum glucose or muscle glucose uptake. In contrast, eating diets containing 47% calories from dietary fat increased muscle palmitate uptake (P<0.05). Therefore, in control rats, eating diets rich in calories from fat has no effect on muscle glucose uptake while it increases palmitate uptake. |
