Hydrogenated vegetable oil use in northern Iranian families over five years
What it found
Use of hydrogenated vegetable oil fell by 29.5% over five years among people in northern Iran, but more than half still used it in 2010.
It was most common in rural, poorer and less educated households.
What they found
Studies in people
Overall drop in use
In 2006, 85.2% of people reported using hydrogenated vegetable oil. By 2010 that share had fallen to 55.7%, a total drop of 29.5% or about 5.9% each year.
Rural versus urban areas
People living in villages were much more likely to use this oil than those in cities. Over the five years, 82.0% of rural residents used it compared with 63.8% in urban areas.
Income and education links
Poorer households and those without formal schooling used hydrogenated vegetable oil far more often. Among people with no education, 91.1% used it, while 63.9% of college-educated people did. The authors note this oil costs less than other options in Iran.
Differences between ethnic groups
The Sisstani ethnic group used this oil more than the Fars-native group. About 74.7% of Sisstani families used it, compared with 60.5% of Fars-native families.
Shift toward other oils
As hydrogenated vegetable oil use went down, the use of non-hydrogenated vegetable oils went up over the same five-year period.
What the authors conclude
- They say that although hydrogenated vegetable oil use fell during the study, it remains very common in northern Iran.
- They call for health education about saturated fats and heart disease aimed at poorer and less educated families, especially the Sisstanish ethnic group.
How it was done
Hydrogenated vegetable oil is a major source of saturated and trans fats, which are linked to heart disease. Iranian families were known to use large amounts of it, so the researchers wanted to track whether habits were changing.
Researchers surveyed 6497 people aged 15 to 65 across 11 towns in northern Iran between 2006 and 2010. Interviewers asked each person what type of cooking oil their household used.
What it can’t tell you
- This survey only recorded what kind of oil people said they used, not how much they ate or what happened to their health.
- Because it measured habits at single points in time rather than following the same people, it cannot show exactly why individuals changed their cooking oil.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Five-year trend in hydrogenated vegetable oil consumption among northern Iranian families
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Veghari G, Sedaghat M, Maghsodlo S, et al (2013). Five-year trend in hydrogenated vegetable oil consumption among northern Iranian families. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2013.06.120313Free full textPubMed 24204075DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error