I guess soybean oil might not be so great to eat?

[Jarvis323]

I'm not one to typically go down the rabbit hole of figuring out what is bad for you on the internet, but I browse Eureka Alert. And I don't like to be an alarmist, but apparently there is new research to suggest there is potential for some pretty scary side effects of consuming soybean oil.

The team determined a number of genes in mice fed soybean oil were not functioning correctly. One such gene produces the "love" hormone, oxytocin. In soybean oil-fed mice, levels of oxytocin in the hypothalamus went down.

The research team discovered roughly 100 other genes also affected by the soybean oil diet. They believe this discovery could have ramifications not just for energy metabolism, but also for proper brain function and diseases such as autism or Parkinson's disease. However, it is important to note there is no proof the oil causes these diseases.

Additionally, the team notes the findings only apply to soybean oil -- not to other soy products or to other vegetable oils.

"Do not throw out your tofu, soymilk, edamame, or soy sauce," said Frances Sladek, a UCR toxicologist and professor of cell biology. "Many soy products only contain small amounts of the oil, and large amounts of healthful compounds such as essential fatty acids and proteins.

The same UCR research team found in 2015 that soybean oil induces obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in mice. Then in a 2017 study, the same group learned that if soybean oil is engineered to be low in linoleic acid, it induces less obesity and insulin resistance.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-01/uoc--amw011620.php

Poonamjot Deol, Elena Kozlova, Matthew Valdez, Catherine Ho, Ei-Wen Yang, Holly Richardson, Gwendolyn Gonzalez, Edward Truong, Jack Reid, Joseph Valdez, Jonathan R Deans, Jose Martinez-Lomeli, Jane R Evans, Tao Jiang, Frances M Sladek, Margarita C Curras-Collazo. Dysregulation of Hypothalamic Gene Expression and the Oxytocinergic System by Soybean Oil Diets in Male Mice. Endocrinology, 2020; DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqz044

https://academic.oup.com/endo/advance-article/doi/10.1210/endocr/bqz044/5698148

Given that the FDA has phased out trans fats due to findings such as a 75% higher rate of Alzheimer's, I can't help but also consider the question whether some of that correlation was with soybean oil in general (since the bulk of trans fats come/came from hydrogenated soybean oil).

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/heal...s-dementia-risk-75-higher-wellness/index.html

I guess which fats/oils you consume could actually be a serious health (including mental) issue. Any thoughts?

 

[jim mcnamara]

Things to note.

Primary research result:
First off, the primary results do not implicate linoleic acid, just some "unknown" component. A lot more research is needed, clearly. And, as usual, too many internet sources do not get that this research is not a death sentence and could care less.

Trans-fat:
Next, trans-fat derived from hydrogenation of plant sources Polyunsturated Fatty Acids still has human biochemical problems. Soybean was cheaper as a primary oil source for hydrogenated fats in margarine, and in boutique trans-fats used in the food service and processed foods industries. Soy was a lot cheaper because the market was altered by USDA subsidies for soybeans. Beef and lamb have small amounts of trans-fats (unique to bacterial activity in the rumen). FWIW see:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21427742

Given the fact that FDA has been slooo-oow in enforcing trans-fat labeling and still allows labelling less than 1.0g/serving trans-fat as zero percent. The timeline for the process from a series of good studies to now is more than 25 years.
Willett WC, Ascherio A (May 1994). "Trans fatty acids: are the effects only marginal?". American Journal of Public Health. 84 (5): 722–4. doi:10.2105/AJPH.84.5.722. PMC 1615057. PMID 8179036.

So yes, it does deserve testing. And since a lot of soy is GMO, randomized controls across genotypes should be part of phase II.

Should you worry? No. There are lots of more immediate disasters to ponder.

Example:
If you need a worry source to make things worthwhile consider that right now Influenza B is killing kids and elderly, and everybody can die from influenza H1N1. More people die from flu than auto accidents in the US.
And a pandemic is NOT what the yellow journalists tell you.

An epidemic occurs when a disease affects a greater number people than is usual for the locality or one that spreads to areas not usually associated with the disease. A pandemic is an epidemic of world-wide proportions. Check out https://infoplease.com for more information about Major U.S. Epidemics.