Spread mainly in Africa and Central Asia, cottonseed oil is linked to cholesterol. Researchers at the University of Georgia (USA) found that a high-fat diet enriched with cottonseed significantly improved cholesterol profiles in young adult men.
WHAT IS COTTON OIL?
Vegetable oil, cottonseed oil is extracted from the seeds of cotton capsules.
This oil is used both as a food oil and in non-food areas such as cosmetics.
Cotton oil is extracted from the cotton seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub with a hot and humid climate.
Seeds are by-products of cotton fiber production.
The cotton fruit (family Malvaceae) is a dried fruit dehiscent, a loculicidal capsule that opens with three to five slits. When the fruit matures, tufts of cotton escape - long epidermal hairs emitted by the seed coat.
Cottonseed is rich in oil and protein and is therefore used for the production of cottonseed oil and as a dietary supplement for cattle and sheep.
Cotton is a shrub of hot and humid climate.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), cottonseed oil is a type of vegetable oil used primarily for food.
China is the world's largest producer of cottonseed oil, followed by India, Pakistan, the United States and Uzbekistan.
Cottonseed oil can be used to make salad oil (mayonnaise, salad dressings, sauces and marinades), cooking oil for frying in both commercial and home cooking, and margarine or margarine. pastry fat and cake icing.
In addition, limited quantities can be used for the manufacture of industrial products such as soaps and cosmetics.
Although cottonseed oil is not commonly sold as cooking oil in retail stores, it is present in some foods, such as baked goods and snacks.
SURPRISING RESULTS ON VIRTUES OF COTTON OIL
The researchers conducted an outpatient feeding trial of 15 healthy men and healthy normal weight, lasting five days, to test the effects of diets enriched with cottonseed oil and in olive oil on the lipid profiles.
Participants showed significant reductions in cholesterol and triglycerides in the cottonseed oil trial compared with the minimal changes in the olive oil-enriched diet.
One of the reasons these results were so surprising is the magnitude of the change observed with the cotton-based diet. "To see this amount of change in such a short time is exciting," says one of the researchers.
The subjects, all healthy men aged 18 to 45 years old, received high-fat meals for five days in two separate, closely controlled trials, the only difference being the use of cotton or olive oil.
Cottonseed oil helps prevent the build-up of triglycerides.
Participants showed an average reduction of 8% in total cholesterol in the diet based on cottonseed oil, as well as a 15% decrease in low density lipoprotein, or LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and a 30% decrease in triglycerides.
This diet also increased high-density lipoprotein or HDL ("good") cholesterol by 8%.
Researchers have suggested that a clean fatty acid in cottonseed oil (dihydrosterculic acid) could help prevent the build-up of triglycerides, a type of fat, in the body.
This acid causes the body to burn more of this fat because it can not store it properly, which reduces the accumulation of lipids and cholesterol.
This mechanism, in addition to the high polyunsaturated fat and omega-6 content of cottonseed oil, appears to be a key element of beneficial effects on lipid profiles.
To conclude, the researchers plan to extend the study to older adults with high cholesterol levels and longer food intervention.