Scientists find a hidden obesity trigger in soybean oil

"In a University of California, Riverside experiment, most mice fed a high-fat diet rich in soybean oil put on substantial weight. A separate group of genetically engineered mice did not, even though their diets were the same. These modified mice produced a slightly altered version of a liver protein that affects hundreds of genes involved in fat metabolism. The altered protein also changes how the body handles linoleic acid, one of the primary components of soybean oil."

"Humans produce both versions of the liver protein HNF4α, but the alternative form generally appears only in special situations, including chronic illness or metabolic stress from fasting or alcoholic fatty liver. Variations in this protein, along with individual differences in age, sex, genetics, and medications, may help explain why some people are more vulnerable to the metabolic impact of soybean oil."

Soybean oil is the most commonly used cooking oil in the United States and appears in a wide range of processed foods. Mice fed a high-fat diet rich in soybean oil gained substantial weight. A separate group of genetically engineered mice did not gain weight despite consuming the same diet; these mice produced a slightly altered version of the liver protein HNF4α that affects hundreds of genes involved in fat metabolism and changes handling of linoleic acid. Humans produce both HNF4α forms, with the alternative variant typically appearing during chronic illness or metabolic stress. Variations in HNF4α and individual factors influence susceptibility to soybean oil–induced metabolic changes.

Read at ScienceDaily