Dairy products influence gut hormone secretion and appetite differently: A randomized controlled crossover trial

Little is known about how dairy products with different nutrient contents and food matrices affect appetite sensation and gut hormone secretion. The objective of this study was to investigate how appetite sensation and gut hormone secretion in healthy adults are affected by meals with the same amount of fat but from different dairy products. Forty-seven healthy adults (70% women) were recruited to a randomized controlled crossover study with 4 dairy meals consisting of butter, cheese, whipped cream, or sour cream, corresponding to 45 g (approximately 60 energy percent) of fat. Plasma samples were collected for analysis of cholecystokinin (CCK), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), peptide YY (PYY), and ghrelin concentrations at 0, 2, 4, and 6 h after the meals and analyzed as the incremental area under the curve (iAUC_0-6h) in a mixed model. Hunger, satiety, and appetite sensations were measured with a visual analog scale (VAS) immediately after finishing the meals and at 4 and 6 h postprandially. Intake of cheese induced a higher level of plasma PP-iAUC_0-6h compared with butter or whipped cream, and a higher level of plasma CCK-iAUC_0-6h compared with whipped cream. Intake of whipped cream increased VAS appetite at 4 h compared with cheese or sour cream, and at 6 h compared with cheese or butter. No significant meal effect was found for hunger, satiety, plasma PYY, or plasma ghrelin concentration. Intake of cheese increased postprandial plasma PP and CCK concentrations and decreased appetite compared with whipped cream but not with sour cream. These findings encourage further investigations of how different dairy products affect gut hormone secretion and appetite sensation.