Washington, March 22 (IANS) Daily intake of a common cooking medium like safflower oil for 16 weeks is a safe way to protect your heart from risks.
These new findings also suggest that safflower oil can improve levels of good cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity in obese post-menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes.
This finding comes about 18 months after the researchers discovered that safflower oil reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle tissue in this group of women after 16 weeks of use, the journal Clinical Nutrition reports.
‘The women in the study didn’t replace what was in their diet with safflower oil. They added it to what they were already doing,’ said Martha Belury, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University, who led the study.
‘I believe these findings suggest that people consciously make sure they get a serving of healthy oil in their diets each day – maybe an oil and vinegar dressing on a salad, or some oil for cooking,’ said Belury, according to an Ohio statement.
‘And this recommendation can be extended to everyone,’ she added.
Safflower oil contains linoleic acid, which is a PUFA — a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Research dating back to the 1960s has suggested that these dietary oils from plant sources can help prevent heart disease, said Belury.
But attention to these fats has declined as omega-3 fish oils have gained popularity among consumers, she said.
