Rapeseed oil and amaranth oil in a 3-week weight loss program
What it found
In 81 obese adults on a 3-week hospital weight loss program, rapeseed oil and amaranth oil supplements did not lead to more weight loss than diet and exercise alone.
Both oil groups showed a trend toward better insulin and cholesterol numbers.
What they found
Studies in people
Weight and body measures
All three groups, including the control group, lost weight and had smaller waist and hip measurements after 3 weeks. There were no differences between the oil groups and the control group for most body measures, except waist, hip and visceral fat.
Blood sugar and insulin
Fasting insulin and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) went down in both the rapeseed oil and amaranth oil groups. Fasting glucose improved only in the amaranth oil group.
Cholesterol and triglycerides
Total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides improved significantly only in the amaranth oil group. HDL percentage went up in both oil groups.
Control group results
The control group, which got no oil, showed no significant improvements in clinical measures like insulin, glucose or cholesterol.
Comparison between oils
Except for insulin resistance, there were no statistical differences between the clinical measures of the three groups. The authors note a trend toward better carbohydrate and lipid profiles in both oil groups compared with the control group.
What the authors conclude
“The results of this study indicated that although the 3-week diet and physical activity program exerted a significant effect on anthropometric and clinical parameters, this effect was independent of ASO or RSO supplementation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the 3-week diet and physical activity program significantly affected body measurements and clinical parameters, but this effect was independent of amaranth or rapeseed oil supplementation.
- They say that amaranth or rapeseed oil supplementation resulted in a trend toward more marked changes in carbohydrate and lipid profiles compared with the control group.
- They suggest that using edible oils with high nutritional value, such as rapeseed and amaranth oil, during body mass reduction programs may enhance metabolic measurements.
How it was done
The authors wanted to compare how rapeseed oil and amaranth oil affect weight loss and metabolic measures during a weight reduction program, since studies directly comparing the two were lacking.
They randomly assigned 81 obese adults (BMI over 30) aged 25 to 70 to one of three groups for 3 weeks: 20 mL per day of amaranth seed oil, 20 mL per day of rapeseed oil, or no oil. All participants followed the same calorie-restricted diet and daily exercise program during a 21-day hospital stay.
What it can’t tell you
- The study lasted only 3 weeks, so it cannot show what would happen over a longer period.
- The number of participants was small, which limits how well the results apply to larger groups.
- The trial cannot show whether these oils would have the same effects outside a strictly controlled hospital program with a fixed diet and exercise plan.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poland; Centre of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Comparison of the effect of rapeseed oil or amaranth seed oil supplementation on weight loss, body composition, and changes in the metabolic profile of obese patients following 3-week body mass reduction program: a randomized clinical trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Moszak M, Zawada A, Juchacz A, Grzymisławski M, Bogdański P (2020). Comparison of the effect of rapeseed oil or amaranth seed oil supplementation on weight loss, body composition, and changes in the metabolic profile of obese patients following 3-week body mass reduction program: a randomized clinical trial. Lipids in health and disease. doi:10.1186/s12944-020-01330-7Free full textPubMed 32563253DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error