Research note: is starch utilization for fat deposition in man different from that in animals?

Utilization of starch for fat deposition in humans was investigated by means of the nitrogen-carbon-balance method in a respiration chamber using the difference principle with a basal and a supplemental period. The basal diet was designed to maintain an adequate energy balance of the volunteer and to meet the maintenance requirements of protein, minerals and vitamins. The dietary fat content was minimized to 2.7% of DM. The digestibility of starch energy was determined to be 97%. The estimated efficiency of ME utilization of starch for energy deposition in humans amounted to 75.8%, which was in accordance with former results in pigs and rats. This suggests that in case of an intake of diets rich in carbohydrates and low in fat the utilization of carbohydrates for lipogenesis in humans is similar to that in monogastric mammal animals.