Diets rich in fats produce large quantities of milk with high lipid concentrations, which may be important for the growth of neonates. The present study investigates the effect of different fat enriched diets on mammary gland lipogenesis in lactating rats. Rats were fed for 6 weeks during pregnancy through to mid-lactation with diets containing chow
supplemented with 20% (w/w) coconut oil, olive oil or corn oil. The control animals were fed with a low fat (0.5%, w/w) diet, or with chow (6.8%, w/w fat). Rats fed either the 20% (w/w) olive oil-supplemented diet or the 20% (w/w) corn oil-supplemented diet produced milk with significantly lower total fat concentrations (p