Postprandial Responses to Typical UK Meal Nutrient Profiles

Background: Dietary fat consumption is one of the major modifiable risk factors implicated in the causation of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Postprandial lipaemia (PPL); the increase in circulating blood triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations after a fat containing meal, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about how different doses of fats as found in typical UK meals will influence the level of PPL.

The majority of research into PPL, including work by our own group and others has largely focused on the postprandial effect following high fat meals, with the primary goal of assessing mechanisms underlying fat metabolism. However, these findings are not relevant from a public health perspective; in reality the average fat content of a meal is much lower than this (~20- 30 g fat, (NDNS, 2013/4)); therefore it is important to assess the impact of doses of fat in this range on PPL to be relevant to public health. The few dose response studies that have been performed assessing fat load and PPL have used liquid test meals that are not relevant to every day meals.

PPL is usually measured by taking a series of blood samples from a cannula, however this is an invasive procedure. There has been an increase in the development of less invasive biochemical assessment, e.g. urine or saliva analysis or dried blood spot (DBS) analysis. DBS analysis is particularly advantageous as samples can be easily collected by the individual under assessment with minimal equipment and transferred easily for analysis via the post, providing simple home-testing. Frequently, postprandial research studies will draw blood from the cannula for multiple related outcomes and therefore, performing multiple assays from one DBS sample would be advantageous in minimizing participant discomfort.

Aim: The primary aim of the current study is to investigate the postprandial response following typical UK meal nutrient profiles containing 20-30g fat. Secondary aims will be to test the feasibility for measuring PPL, insulin, c-peptide and performing metabolomic analysis from DBS versus serum blood analysis. Further, it will assess the best practice for collection (venous versus finger prick) and storage (ambient versus freezer) of the DBS samples.

Hypothesis: Typical UK meal nutrient profiles will elicit detectable PPL. Further, DBS will be an effective method for measuring postprandial outcomes.