Researchers from the University of Missouri conducted a study, which led them to conclude that vegetable oil is good for the body as it helps reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Vegetable oil is a rich source of nutrients such as linoleic acid (LA) and calories. Scientists in the past have established that LA helps in reducing blood cholesterol levels as well as risk of heart disease. Typically, an American consumes three tablespoons of vegetable oil a day, which according to some experts, is a bit too much for the body. However, researchers from the University of Missouri claim that vegetable oil in that quantity is actually good for the body.
Though previous studies conducted on animals show that consuming a diet rich in LA leads to inflammation, researchers of this study could find no link between the consumption of vegetable oil and circulating indicators of inflammation that are often associated with heart disease, cancer, asthma and arthritis.
"In the field of nutrition and health, animals aren't people," said Kevin Fritsche, an MU professor of animal science and nutrition in the Division of Animal Sciences in a press release. "We're not saying that you should just go out and consume vegetable oil freely. However, our evidence does suggest that you can achieve a heart-healthy diet by using soybean, canola, corn and sunflower oils instead of animal-based fats when cooking."
LA is an omega-6 fatty acid and makes up for 50 percent or more of most vegetable oils. Fritsche and his colleague Guy Johnson, an adjunct professor of food and human nutrition at the University of Illinois, conducted a thorough research to see if this fatty acid could be linked to inflammation in any way. They went through 15 clinical trials that included the study of over 500 participants that consumed any form of vegetable oil. After thoroughly analyzing data from various clinical trials, they concluded that linoleic acid was in no way linked to inflammation.
Hence, researchers concluded that people should continue following guidelines provided by the Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association, which suggest using 2 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in their cooking daily.
The study, "Effect of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Markers of Inflammation in Healthy Persons: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials," was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
