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Does Soy Make You Fat?

According to a new study, soybean oil leads to obesity and diabetes. Its fat hides in many foods. But you can protect yourself with a few simple tricks.

A diet high in soybean oil leads to obesity and diabetes. The fat in soybeans seems to be even worse for our bodies than the so-called “high fructose corn syrup” found in soft drinks like Coca-Cola. This is the conclusion of scientists in a study recently published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The scientists exposed mice to four different diets. Two of them were 40 percent fat — about the amount the average American currently eats. The first group was given coconut oil. The second was given a mixture of coconut and soybean oil. Soybean oil is a common ingredient in shortenings, margarine, and ready meals, especially in the United States. The 20 percent concentration in group two is about what the average US citizen eats. The mice had corn syrup mixed into their food instead of fat in the other two groups.

How does soybean oil affect metabolism?

All groups were fed the same amount of calories and there were no noticeable differences in the amount the mice ate. This gave the scientists the opportunity to assess how different foods affect metabolism.

Compared to the animals that consumed coconut oil, the mice on a soybean oil diet showed clear differences: they gained more weight, put on larger fat reserves, and developed fatty liver, diabetes, and insulin resistance – all signs of the so-called metabolic syndrome. Overall, they weighed 25 percent more than the mice that ate coconut oil. What remarkably astonished the scientists was: They even gained significantly more weight (9 percent) than the mice that ate the corn syrup, which is known to be very unhealthy.

Is Soybean Oil Causing the Obesity Epidemic?

“That took us completely by surprise!” says Poonamjot Deol, who coordinated the study. “We never expected soybean oil to cause more obesity and diabetes than corn syrup, which is consistently cited in the media as the cause of the obesity epidemic.”

In the USA in particular, people have been eating more and more soybean oil for about four decades – also because they want to avoid saturated fatty acids from animal products such as butter for their health. In addition, there is cheap raw material in almost all ready meals. The amount of soybean oil consumed annually is also increasing in Germany. The possible consequences can already be guessed at in the USA.

You should be careful with these foods

  • margarine
  • Special frying fats
  • frozen fries
  • Muffins and other industrially manufactured baked goods
  • peanut butter
  • frozen pizza
  • crisps

In general, you should try to cook as many dishes as possible yourself. Then you will know what ingredients were used in it. Healthy alternatives are canola and olive oil.

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Written by Crystal Nelson

I am a professional chef by trade and a writer at night! I have a bachelors degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and have completed many freelance writing classes as well. I specialized in recipe writing and development as well as recipe and restaurant blogging.

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