Corn Oil Lowers Plasma Cholesterol Compared with Coconut Oil in Adults with Above-Desirable Levels of Cholesterol in a Randomized Crossover Trial

Background: Dietary fats have been variably associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between everyday mainly used dietary fats in cooking and as seasoning and hemodynamic and lipid parameters. Methods: For this study, we selected from the Brisighella Heart Study cohort subjects who were not treated with antihypertensive drugs and report with certainty their daily mean intake of dietary fats in cooking and as seasoning. Depending on the main source of dietary fat, the involved subjects were classified as prevalent extra-virgin olive oil (EVO) users, prevalent corn oil users, prevalent users of different vegetable oils and prevalent animal fat users, and we compared their characteristics. Results: Everyday consumption of EVO as a main seasoning and cooking fat source was significantly associated to lower body mass index, visceral adiposity index, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and cholesterolemia, when compared with predominantly animal fat users. Corn oil users also had lower blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and cholesterolemia, when compared with predominantly animal fat users, as well. In particular, in an age and systolic blood pressure adjusted model, the predictors of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were the prevalent use of EVO (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.67–0.94 vs. other prevalent fat sources), LDL-Cholesterol (RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.42), serum uric acid (RR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.09–1.54) and estimated GFR (RR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.59–0.99). Conclusions: According to our findings, the choice of everyday seasoning and cooking fat is associated with a different metabolic and haemodynamic pattern.

Background The increased use of high-oleic oils to replace trans fat has led to concern about declining intake of polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and the potential for essential fatty acid insufficiency or even deficiency. Objective The aim was to examine circulating levels of essential and poorly biosynthesized fatty acids, as biomarkers of dietary intake, in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets prior to (2003–04 cycle) and following (2011–12 cycle) legislation to reduce trans fat in the food supply and, additionally, to explore the associations between these fatty acids and markers of cardiometabolic health. Methods Fasting circulating levels of fatty acids from adults (≥ 20 years) in the 2003–04 and 2011–12 NHANES cycles were used for analysis. One day of dietary data from the 2003–04 and 2011–12 cycles were used to examine differences in dietary fatty acid intake between these cycles. Regression analyses were used to assess relationships between circulating levels of fatty acids and cardiometabolic health. Results Between 2003–04 and 2011–12, circulating levels of linoleic acid (LA) increased (1.38%; P = 0.002); no difference in dietary intake was observed. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), measured by dietary intake (0.14 g; P < 0.001) and circulating levels (0.23%; P < 0.01), increased from 2003–04 to 2011–12. Circulating LA was inversely associated with BMI (regression coefficient per percentage point change in LA ± SE: -0.22 ± 0.04 kg/m2),  waist circumference (-0.62 ± 0.09 cm),  systolic blood pressure (-0.38 ± 0.09 mm Hg), triglycerides (-9.92 ± 0.63 mg/dl),  glucose (-3.34 ± 0.13 mg/dl ), insulin (-0.18 ± 0.05 µU/ml), and HOMA-IR (-0.29 ± 0.05). Conclusions In a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, no declines in circulating levels of essential fatty acids, LA and ALA, were observed between 2003–04 and 2011–12; a time when high-oleic oils were increasingly used in the food supply. Higher levels of circulating LA were correlated with lower risk of cardiometabolic dysfunction, which underscores the importance of monitoring consumption in the U.S.

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are a serious global threat, and with the emergence of antibiotic resistance, even more difficult to treat. One of the possible complications in antistaphylococcal therapy represents negative interactions of antibiotics with food. In this study, the in vitro interaction between oxacillin and crude palm seed oil from Astrocaryum vulgare, Cocos nucifera, and Elaeis guineensis against nine strains of S. aureus was determined using the checkerboard method. Lauric acid was identified as a major constituent of all tested oils by gas chromatography. The results showed strong concentration dependent antagonistic interactions between palm oils and oxacillin with values of fractional inhibitory concentrations indices ranging from 4.02 to 8.56 at concentrations equal or higher than 1024 µg/mL of the tested oils. Similarly, lauric acid in combination with oxacillin produced antagonistic action with fractional inhibitory concentration indices ranging from 4.01 to 4.28 at 1024 µg/mL. These findings suggest that interference between oxacillin and palm oils and their constituents can negatively affect the treatment of staphylococcal infections in humans and other animals.