Diet high in soybean oil could lead to more obesity and diabetes than fructose and coconut oil rich diets, says researchers from University of California Riverside published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The researchers that conducted experiment on mice observed that obesity and diabetes risks are higher in consuming diet rich in soybean oil than fructose in corn syrup and sugar in processed foods as well as beverages like soda, according to DNA.

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Researcher Poonamjot Deol, the paper's first author and the one who directed the project in Sladek's lab noted: "This was a major surprise for us - that soybean oil is causing more obesity and diabetes than fructose - especially when you see headlines everyday about the potential role of sugar consumption in the current obesity epidemic," reported Medical daily.

The mice that had diet rich in soybean oil had 25 percent and more weight than mice that had coconut oil rich diet on the other hand mice that had soybean oil enriched diet weighed 9 percent heavier than fructose rich diet. Meanwhile mice that had fructose enriched diet gained 12 percent more weight than those that had diet rich in coconut oil.

The study results come as a surprise because corn syrup that is rich is fructose has long been blamed for problems like obesity and diabetes whereas sugar for overweight and obesity. Coconut oil in general has been thought to contain more saturated fat than soybean oil and was accused for increasing heart attack risks, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.

It is reported in the study that "C57/BL6 male mice fed a diet moderately high in fat from coconut oil and soybean oil (SO-HFD, 40% kcal total fat) showed statistically significant increases in weight gain, adiposity, diabetes, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance compared to mice on a diet consisting primarily of coconut oil (HFD). They also had fatty livers with hepatocyte ballooning and very large lipid droplets as well as shorter colonic crypt length."

The researchers added that though fructose rich diet in mice didn't cause diabetes or obesity, fatty liver and rectal prolapse were found to occur. Coconut oil, with or without addition of fructose rich oil, increased spleen weight and fructose oil with soybean oil increased kidney weight. The researchers clarified that whatever the case be, soybean oil is harmful to health than fructose and coconut oil.  

TagsSoybean Oil, Coconut oil, obesity, Diabetes, Fatty liver