The Study
Home use of vegetable oils, markers of systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction among women.
This study looked at what kinds of oils women ate and checked their blood for signs of inflammation. It found that women who ate more of certain oils tended to have higher inflammation markers — but it didn't watch them over time, so we don't know if the oils caused the inflammation or if people with inflammation just ate more of those oils.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what kinds of oils women in Iran used for cooking and checked their blood for signs of body inflammation.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 541 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — even small daily differences in oil type led to big changes in inflammation, which is linked to heart disease and diabetes.
- 2Women who ate more partially hydrogenated oils (like margarine) had up to 72% higher inflammation markers; those who ate more sunflower, canola, or olive oil had up to 29% lower inflammation markers.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2008
Authors
Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, L. Azadbakht
Related Content
Claims (6)
Women aged 40–60 who consume more partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have higher levels of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in their blood compared to those who consume less.
Women aged 40–60 who consume partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have higher levels of systemic inflammation than those who consume the same amount of non-hydrogenated vegetable oils.
People who consume more partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers, even when accounting for their body weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
Women aged 40–60 who consume more non-hydrogenated vegetable oils have 24% lower levels of serum amyloid A, a marker of systemic inflammation.
Women aged 40–60 who consume more non-hydrogenated vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, canola, soybean, and olive oil have lower levels of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, serum amyloid A, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 compared to those who consume less.
When canola oil is heated and oxidized, it produces chemical compounds called aldehydes that directly damage cells and trigger inflammation throughout the body.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.