Khaberni - Soybean oil, an essential ingredient in processed foods, contributes to weight gain and obesity through a mechanism that scientists are now beginning to understand. Soybean oil is the most commonly used cooking oil in many countries, including the United States and China.
In a laboratory experiment conducted at the University of California, most mice on a high-fat diet enriched with soybean oil gained significant weight.
Linoleic Acid Processing
Genetically modified mice produced a slightly different form of a liver protein that affects hundreds of genes associated with fat metabolism. This protein also appears to alter how the body processes linoleic acid, a major component in soybean oil.
Sonia Deol, a biomedical scientist at the University of California, said, "This may be the first step towards understanding why some people gain weight more easily than others who consume a diet rich in soybean oil."
According to "Medical Xpress," humans have both types of liver protein HNF4α, but usually only the alternative form is produced under certain conditions, such as chronic diseases, metabolic stress from fasting, or alcoholic fatty liver.
Effect of Soybean Oil on Metabolism
This study builds on previous work by researchers at the University of California, which found that soybean oil causes more obesity than coconut oil.
The new study provides the clearest evidence yet that the problem is not in the oil itself, or even in linoleic acid, but "in what the fats turn into inside the body."
Linoleic acid converts into molecules called oxylipins. Excessive consumption of linoleic acid can lead to an increase in their amount associated with inflammation and fat accumulation.
