Canola Oil Aids In Reducing Belly Fat: Study

For those who would like to reduce excess belly fat, they may want to try including canola oil in their diets. Findings from a new study have shown that doing so is an effective way to burn abdominal fat in less than four weeks.

Professor Penny M. Kris-Etherson of the Pennsylvania State University said belly fat increases risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. She added that canola oil has monounsaturated fats that decrease fat having adverse health effects.

According to The Times of India, Pennsylvania State University researchers used five different types of vegetable oil and blended them in the participants' diets. The study has 101 respondents who were randomly assigned to follow each treatment oil diet: high-oleic acid canola, conventional canola, high-oleic acid canola with DHA, corn/safflower, and flax/safflower. Yahoo reported that they were required to drink two smoothies with the designated oil. The amount of oil was calculated based on each participant's energy needs to prevent overloading their diets with excess canola calories. Their body compositions were measured after four weeks and they likewise had a four-week break before starting the next diet period.

All of the study's respondents had increased waist circumference or abdominal obesity. Also, they had or were at risk for metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, low HDL (good cholesterol), excess fat around the waist, and obesity. After consuming high-oleic acid canola oil or conventional canola oil for four weeks, they lost belly fat.

Moreover, it was found that after one month of following the diets including canola oil, the respondents had 11 kilograms less belly fat. Likewise, researchers have found that mid-section weight loss did not redistribute in other parts of the body. At The Obesity Society's Annual Scientific Meeting, they presented the study and its findings.