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‘Use canola or olive oil for better health’

NEW DELHI - When a recipe calls for ghee or butter, substitute it with canola or olive oil for better health. Both these oils can help you to shed weight and reduce liver fat, lipids and triglycerides, says a study.

The study conducted by the Diabetes Foundation (India) (DFI) and the National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation (N-DOC) has found that consuming olive or canola oil can help in decreasing weight, waist circumference and reduce liver fat, lipids and triglycerides.

A group of 90 people in Fortis Hospital study, for over a period of three years from June 2007 to 2010, were divided into three groups and asked to use one type of cooking oil—olive, canola or any other oil.

”After a period of six months itself, we found that those who used olive or canola significantly reduced there weight, liver fat and triglycerides,” said Seema Gulati, head of nutrition research group at N-DOC.

The group which used olive oil significantly reduced the body weight, waist circumference and liver fat. As for the 30 people who used canola oil, they reported a decrease in waist circumference and a significantly improved insulin and blood glucose.

The group which used other oils, except the soybean or sunflower oil—which have a high content of mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) -- as cooking medium had not showed any significant changes.

”If the different traditional Indian oils used across the country are replaced by olive or canola oil, it can lead to multiple health benefits,” said Anoop Misra, director and head of department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis.

Misra also said that the study has important implications for Indians who are at heightened risk for diabetes and heart disease.

”By switching over to metabolic friendly oil, one could avert several chronic and lethal diseases,” he added.