Rapeseed oil diet and heart risk in metabolic syndrome
What it found
In 81 people with the metabolic syndrome, a 6-month diet rich in rapeseed oil led to weight loss and improved heart risk factors, similar to an olive oil diet.
The rapeseed oil diet also lowered blood fats called triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure more than the olive oil diet.
What they found
Studies in people
Weight loss
Both groups lost weight: the rapeseed oil group lost 7.8 kg and the olive oil group lost 6.0 kg on average. There was no significant difference between the groups.
Blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure dropped in both groups, with no difference between them. Diastolic blood pressure fell more in the rapeseed oil group than in the olive oil group.
Blood fats
Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decreased in both groups, with no difference between them. Triglycerides fell significantly in the rapeseed oil group but not in the olive oil group.
Blood sugar and insulin
Insulin levels dropped in both groups, with no difference between them. Glucose levels did not change significantly in either group.
Metabolic syndrome
At the start, all patients had the metabolic syndrome. After 6 months, fewer patients met the criteria in both groups: 58% in the rapeseed oil group and 46% in the olive oil group.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, our dietary food pattern with a low ED and high intakes of MUFA and ALA may be a practical approach for long-term dietary treatment in patients with the metabolic syndrome, leading to weight reduction and an improvement in the overall cardiovascular risk profile.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that a dietary pattern with low energy density and high intakes of monounsaturated fats and ALA may be a practical approach for long-term dietary treatment in patients with the metabolic syndrome.
- They say this leads to weight reduction and an improvement in the overall cardiovascular risk profile.
- They call for more research to investigate the possible independent metabolic effects of ALA in populations with cardiovascular disease and/or type 2 diabetes compared with healthy controls.
How it was done
The best diet for the metabolic syndrome is still debated, especially whether plant omega-3 fats like alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) add benefits. The authors wanted to see if a weight-loss diet enriched with rapeseed oil, which is high in ALA, could improve body weight and heart risk factors.
They randomly assigned 81 patients with the metabolic syndrome to a 6-month hypoenergetic diet enriched with either rapeseed oil (high ALA) or olive oil (low ALA). Both diets had similar nutrient composition, and the rapeseed oil group consumed about 3.5 g of ALA per day.
What it can’t tell you
- This study cannot show whether the effects were specific to rapeseed oil or ALA, because both diets improved heart risk factors similarly.
- The study cannot rule out that weight loss itself caused the metabolic changes, rather than the oils.
- The results may not apply to people without the metabolic syndrome or to those not trying to lose weight.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Applied Sciences, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Effects of a rapeseed oil-enriched hypoenergetic diet with a high content of α-linolenic acid on body weight and cardiovascular risk profile in patients with the metabolic syndrome
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Baxheinrich A, Stratmann B, Lee-Barkey YH, Tschoepe D, Wahrburg U (2012). Effects of a rapeseed oil-enriched hypoenergetic diet with a high content of α-linolenic acid on body weight and cardiovascular risk profile in patients with the metabolic syndrome. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114512002875Free full textPubMed 22894911DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error