Digestibility of cocoa butter and corn oil in human subjects: A preliminary study

The comparative absorption of cocoa butter (25.5% C(16:0), 34.4% C(18:0), 34.4% C(18:1), 3.4% C(18:2)) and corn oil (11.4% C(16:0), 2.0% C(18:0), 26.4% C(18:1), 60.0% C(18:2)) was assessed in six healthy male subjects. During 3-d experimental diet periods, free-living subjects consumed either cocoa butter or corn oil as virtually the sole source of dietary fat, provided at 40% of the total energy intake in the form of specially formulated cookies. Fat absorption was determined by quantifying total fecal lipid excretion over the 3-d period. Total fecal lipid and fecal fatty acids were determined. The percentage of fat excreted was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) when subjects consumed the cocoa butter (10.8 ± 3.2%) vs the corn oil (3.5 ± 1.0%) diet. These results indicate that the digestibility of cocoa butter is significantly less than corn oil and may explain, in part, previous reports of a neutral effect of dietary cocoa butter on plasma cholesterol concentrations.