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A cooking
oil developed by a Canadian biotechnology company may aid
weight loss and reduce cholesterol levels, according to a
recent clinical study.
Researchers
at McGill University in Montreal placed 24 obese males on
a controlled diet of Forbes Medi-Tech's "designer"
cooking oil or olive oil for 28 days. After a four-week cleansing
period, participants switched to the alternate diet.
Those
in the designer oil group showed a significant decrease in
total body weight tissue, while the olive oil diet did not
affect body compartment volumes. Additionally, the designer
oil diet lead to a 16.3 percent drop in LDL or bad cholesterol
levels.
This is
the second clinical study on the designer oil. The first study
showed that the oil reduced LDL levels by 14.5 percent in
a test of 17 overweight women.
Researchers
also noted a corresponding increase in energy expenditure.
The latest study confirmed that this increased energy expenditure
was statistically indicative of weight loss.
While
fats and oils usually contribute to body weight gain, Dr.
Peter Jones, one of the researchers, said the oil's medium
chain triglycerides contribute to the weight loss.
"These
oils are oxidized very quickly and burned as energy rather
than stored as body fat. The inclusion of plant phytosterols
into the oil helps block the absorption of cholesterol resulting
in a significant reduction in total and LDL cholesterol,"
he said.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of May 12, 2002
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