Rapeseed oil meal and 24-hour fat burning
What it found
In 10 healthy young men, a meal rich in rapeseed oil led to more fat burning over 24 hours than a meal rich in palm oil.
Energy used was about the same with both meals.
What they found
Studies in people
24-hour fat burning
Fat burning over 24 hours was higher after the rapeseed oil meals (779 kcal/day) than after the palm oil meals (703 kcal/day). Energy used was similar with both meals.
After breakfast and lunch
Fat burning was higher after breakfast and lunch with rapeseed oil, but there was no difference after dinner. The increase after breakfast was larger than after lunch.
Nervous system and heart rate
Parasympathetic nervous system activity was higher over 24 hours with rapeseed oil, and heart rate tended to be lower. Sympathetic nervous system activity was similar between the two meals.
Physical activity
Physical activity levels were not significantly different between the two meal conditions on either day.
Studies in people and animals
Possible mechanisms
The authors suggest that rapeseed oil may be burned more easily, or may stimulate the body's own fat burning. They note that animal and lab studies support this idea, but the exact reason in people is unknown.
What the authors conclude
“The results of a long calorimetry period indicate that rapeseed oil offered an advantage toward increased 24-h fat oxidation in healthy young males.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that a meal rich in rapeseed oil increases 24-hour fat oxidation compared with a meal rich in palm oil.
- They say the findings may be relevant to nutritional interventions aiming to reduce fat mass.
- They call for more research, including in women and over longer periods.
How it was done
The authors note that the type of fat in the diet has been linked to diabetes and heart disease. Previous studies on fat burning were short, lasting 5 hours or less, so they wanted to see what happened over a full 24 hours.
Ten healthy young men each ate three meals rich in either rapeseed oil or palm oil on two separate occasions, in a random order. They stayed in a metabolic chamber for 24 hours while their fat burning and energy use were measured.
What it can’t tell you
- This study lasted only 24 hours, so it cannot show what happens over weeks or months.
- The study was in 10 healthy young men, so the results may not apply to women or other groups.
- The study measured fat burning, not weight loss or long-term health outcomes.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Authors work at
- University of Tsukuba, Japan; Tokyo Seiei College, Japan; Hiroshima University, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Meal rich in rapeseed oil increases 24-h fat oxidation more than meal rich in palm oil
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Yajima K, Iwayama K, Ogata H, Park I, Tokuyama K (2018). Meal rich in rapeseed oil increases 24-h fat oxidation more than meal rich in palm oil. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198858Free full textPubMed 29902225DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error