No abstract

Whole apples are a source of pectin and polyphenols, both of which show potential to modulate postprandial lipaemia (PPL). The present study aimed to explore the effects of whole apple consumption on PPL, as a risk factor for CVD, in generally healthy but overweight and obese adults. A randomised, crossover acute meal trial was conducted with seventeen women and nine men (mean BMI of 34·1 (sem 0·2) kg/m2). Blood samples were collected for 6 h after participants consumed an oral fat tolerance test meal that provided 1 g fat/kg body weight and 1500 mg acetaminophen per meal for estimating gastric emptying, with and without three whole raw Gala apples (approximately 200 g). Plasma TAG (with peak postprandial concentration as the primary outcome), apoB48, chylomicron-rich fraction particle size and fatty acid composition, glucose, insulin and acetaminophen were analysed. Differences between with and without apples were identified by ANCOVA. Apple consumption did not alter postprandial TAG response, chylomicron properties, glucose or acetaminophen (P > 0·05), but did lead to a higher apoB48 peak concentration and exaggerated insulin between 20 and 180 min (P < 0·05). Overall, as a complex food matrix, apples did not modulate postprandial TAG when consumed with a high-fat meal in overweight and obese adults, but did stimulate insulin secretion, potentially contributing to an increased TAG-rich lipoprotein production.

Objectives Postprandial lipemia (PPL) is a possible target for dietary strategies seeking to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including in overweight and obese individuals. Apples contain pectin and polyphenols that have shown potential to modulate PPL in in vitro and animal studies. However, whole apples, as a complex food matrix, have not been investigated in terms of their impact on PPL in humans. Therefore, this study used an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) with the aim of exploring the influence of co-ingesting whole apples with a high fat dairy beverage on PPL and possible mediators, including chylomicron metabolism, glycemia, insulinemia and gastric emptying in generally healthy, but overweight and obese adults. Methods Six overweight and 20 obese participants (17 women and 9 men, mean ± SEM age of 45.5 ± 3.1 years, BMI of 34.1 ± 0.2 kg/m2, and fasting triacylglycerol (TAG) of 1.38 ± 0.08 mmol/L) completed this randomized, crossover acute meal study. After fasted participants consumed the OFTT (1 g fat/kg body weight, containing 1500 mg acetaminophen per meal for estimating gastric emptying rate) with and without 3 apples (∼200 g), plasma TAG, ApoB48, glucose, insulin, acetaminophen, and chylomicron-rich fraction (CMRF) particle size and fatty acid composition were analyzed over 6 hours. Differences in postprandial response (i.e., mean concentration, peak concentration (Cmax), time to peak (Tmax) and incremental area under the curve) between treatments were assessed by analysis of covariance. Results Consuming whole apples with the OFTT did not modify postprandial TAG, CMRF properties, glucose or gastric emptying rate (P > 0.05), but led to a higher Apo48 peak concentration (P < 0.01) and higher insulin concentrations between 20–180 min (P < 0.05). Conclusions Consumption of apples, as a complex food matrix containing pectin and polyphenols, did not alter overall PPL following a high fat meal, but did lead to initially higher postprandial insulin. These results have relevance for using apples as a dietary strategy to manage CVD risk associated with high fat consumption in overweight and obese individuals. Funding Sources Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Ontario Apple Growers, Canada.