(Image source from: techexplorist.com)

The soybean oil is widely used and is said to be the most consumed edible oil as it is likely a common element in the diet. This oil is popularly being used in processed and premade foods by the restaurants, fast food companies and many more.

A research has been conducted at the New University of California Riverside which shows that the soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes but it can also show adverse effects regarding the neurological health. It is found out that conditions like autism, alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and depression can be caused with the excessive consumption of soybean oil.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, soybean is said to be by far the most widely produced and consumed edible oil in the US as it is being used for fast food and is being added to packed foods and is fed to livestock.

A research that has been conducted in 2005 proves that soybean oil shows adverse effects on human health as this oil can cause obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes in mice which was later on found out that modification of the oil to have lower amounts of linoleic acid can lead to lessening the severity of oil on these conditions.

However, it has been found that doing the same i.e., lessening the consumption of oil doesn’t prevent soybean from having a potentially bad effect on the neurological conditions which will in turn lead to several neurological disorders like autism, alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression. It was found out that the adverse effects of the oil shows a great impact to the hypothalamus region of the brain in the mice that were fed with the diets which contained high soybean oil which included the low-linolenic acid version that has been modified.

It has also been found that the ability of proper functioning of around 100 genes in the mice have been impaired by the consumption of soybean oil. The impaired genes includes one such gene which is responsible for oxytocin. It is a hormone which is most commonly referred to as the love drug of the body. These types of changes are observed only with the consumption of soybean oil where as the other soy products like soy milk or any other cooking oil did not show any kind of effects.

The study still needs to be proceeded in order to gain a complete picture before coming to a conclusion as the research that has been done until now has few limitations where in the experiment has been done only on male mice and no female mice has been involved. Conducting a research involving the female mice helps us in better understanding as the maternal bonding is tightly linked the levels of oxytocin. It is also not clear as in which compound in the oil can be held responsible for the adverse effect as the study can just conclude that the compounds responsible for the adverse effects can neither be linolenic acid nor stigmasterol.

It is said not to be linolenic acid since the oil that has been modified also produced the genetic disruptions and the compound being stigmasterol has been eliminated as it is a cholesterol-like chemical which is found naturally in soybean oil.

Frances Sladek, a UCR toxicologist and professor of cell biology has said not to dispose the tofu, soy milk, edamame or soy sauce as many products of soy other than the soy oil contain very less amount of oil where as large amounts of healthy compounds such as essential fatty acids and proteins will be present in the soy products.

It has also been said that, the researches that had been made were conducted on mice and it is not completely sure whether the same results will be translated in humans or no as there can be chances where in the effects shown in mice might or might not be be affecting the human beings as well.

Poonamjot Deol, an assistant project scientist in Sladek’s laboratory and the first author on the study has said that identifying the compounds that are responsible for the negative and adverse effects ought to be found out as it helps in designing healthier dietary oils in the future.

Sladek has mentioned the irony as in saturated fat being bad where as unsaturated fat being good but the soy bean oil is said to be polyunsaturated fat and the soy bean oil being good for health is not just proven.

By Shrithika Kushangi