UC Riverside Studies Link 24-Week Soybean Oil Diet to Gut Damage in Mice

1 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 23

Mouse studies from UC Riverside found high soybean oil intake disrupted gut bacteria, weakened the intestinal barrier and increased susceptibility to Ulcerative colitis after diets lasting up to 24 weeks.
Linoleic acid—the main fatty acid in soybean oil—appeared to drive the effect: researchers said harmful E. coli fed on it, helpful bacteria declined, and the gut lining became more porous.
The team said Americans now get about 8%-10% of daily energy from linoleic acid, versus an estimated 1%-2% needed, largely because soybean oil is common in processed and restaurant foods.
Comparative experiments found conventional soybean oil altered genes tied to metabolism, immunity, inflammation and Microbiome function more than coconut oil or a modified lower-linoleic soybean oil.
Researchers stressed the findings do not prove disease in humans, but said olive oil did not show the same colitis effect in mice and may be a better low-linoleic alternative.

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