Foodie Pundit

The Common Cooking Oil That Could Be Quietly Rewiring Your Body

New research on a common cooking oil explores how it could be linked to subtle health changes, like fatty liver and atherosclerosis, even without affecting your

By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Food Safety

fried chicken photograph for this story

Key points

  • A diet high in soybean oil, a common ingredient in processed foods, may be linked to significant internal health issues like fatty liver and early signs of heart disease in broiler chicks, even without causing weight gain.
  • The study highlights the importance of the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio in our diet, suggesting that the prevalent consumption of omega-6-rich oils like soybean oil could be a factor in health concerns.
  • The research used broiler chicks as a model for childhood obesity, finding that a soybean oil-enriched diet was associated with increased abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and signs often associated with atherosclerosis.
  • Consumers are encouraged to consider the specific types of oils and fats in their food, aiming for a better balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and to look beyond simple claims like "low in saturated fat."
  • The "skinny fat" phenomenon, where body weight is normal but metabolic health is poor, was observed in the study, indicating that weight alone is not always the sole measure of health.

This report is part of Foodie Pundit premium coverage. Foodie Pundit members read the full story. See membership.

Sources and methodology

Reported from primary records. Open any source to verify a claim.

All sources Foodie Pundit reports from

More from the Foodie Pundit Newsroom

Permalink