Overview
- UC Riverside researchers found that linoleic acid from soybean oil was converted into oxylipins linked to obesity in mice, identifying a biochemical pathway behind diet-induced weight gain.
- Mice engineered to express the P2‑HNF4α form of a liver regulatory gene gained far less weight on the same soybean‑oil diet, reflecting reduced enzyme activity that limits oxylipin production.
- Specific oxylipins derived from linoleic and alpha‑linolenic acids were necessary for weight gain in normal mice, yet elevated oxylipins on a low‑fat diet did not cause obesity on their own.
- Despite containing no cholesterol, soybean‑oil diets raised cholesterol levels in mice, and rising U.S. consumption of linoleic‑rich oils underscores the study’s public‑health relevance.
- Experts caution that all findings are from mice and may not translate to people, and the UCR team plans mechanistic follow‑ups and tests of other high‑linoleic oils with no human trials underway.