There are numerous possibilities in adjusting both the level and source of fat in a diet. If your primary interest is inducing atherosclerosis or obesity, additional information can be found on our Teklad atherogenic and diet induced obesity (DIO) diet pages. Depending on your research goals and level of desired fat supplementation, fats can be added to a standard natural ingredient diet or a purified diet.

Purified ingredients are refined to the point of chemical simplicity and allow for extreme fat levels such as no fat diet TD.03314 or very high fat ketogenic diet TD.96355. Unless adjustments are made to the level of fiber, diets with high fat levels will have a greater caloric density since fat contains 9 kcal/g versus 4 kcal/g for carbohydrate or protein. Animals are good at regulating caloric intake, therefore it is common to adjust other nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein) relative to energy content to account for differences in feed intake.

Specific fats can be utilized as in this essential fatty acid deficient diet TD.84224 or to provide high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fat from flaxseed or fish oil. Normally, 1-2% fat from plant sources like corn or soybean oil will supply sufficient levels of essential fatty acids. Additional fat provides energy and can influence palatability due to effects on taste and texture of the diet.

Mixtures of fats can be used to mimic a Western or Mediterranean diet fatty acid profile. Contact us for a table comparing the fatty acid composition of several stocked fat sources (solid fats, oils).

We also commonly work with customer supplied oils and purified fatty acids such as DHA and EPA. If you prefer to mix fat sources in your lab, ask about a basal mix. Basal mixes are supplied in powder form and often allow you to use one diet mix for creating several different diets.

If fat stability is a concern, contact a nutritionist to discuss options for diet drying, vacuum packaging, and synthetic antioxidant supplementation.

Example diets mentioned above

• TD.03314 62% sucrose diet (no fat)
• TD.96355 Ketogenic diet
• TD.84224 Essential fatty acid deficient diet

Contact us to discuss the use of these example diets or one that better meets your needs.