Differential effects in male adult rats of lifelong coconut oil exposure versus during early-life only

We investigated the effects of maternal coconut oil supplementation during breastfeeding on the endocrine metabolic profiles of offspring and the impact of continued exposure throughout life. Rat mothers were separated into: soybean oil (SO); and coconut oil (CO) groups and received the oils through gavage (0.5 g/kg of BW) and had free access to standard chow. After weaning, half of the pups from CO group continued receiving coconut oil in chow (CO + C), while SO and the other half of CO group received standard chow. Offspring were killed at postnatal day 180. CO and CO + C offspring had higher body masses, but only CO had higher visceral fat and lower lean mass. CO group exhibited hyperphagia and hyperleptinemia while CO + C group exhibited hypophagia. CO group had higher T3 and TSH. Coconut oil led to long-term overweight, hyperphagia, hyperleptinemia and thyroid dysfunction, whereas the continuous exposure throughout life prevented most of these dysfunctions.