Rapeseed oil and liver fat in obese men
What it found
In 27 obese men with fatty liver, 8 weeks of daily rapeseed oil lowered liver fat, while olive oil did not.
Rapeseed oil also lowered free fatty acids in the blood and raised interleukin-6.
What they found
Studies in people
Liver fat
Liver fat fell from 13.1% to 11.1% in the rapeseed oil group. In the olive oil group it rose from 13.3% to 15.7%.
Free fatty acids
Blood levels of free fatty acids dropped by 21% in the rapeseed oil group.
Interleukin-6
Blood levels of interleukin-6 rose 1.68-fold in the rapeseed oil group.
What the authors conclude
“RA has a beneficial effect on hepatic lipid metabolism as shown by reduced IHL and serum FFA.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say rapeseed oil has a beneficial effect on liver fat metabolism, shown by lower liver fat and lower blood free fatty acids.
- They say the rise in interleukin-6 from rapeseed oil seems to protect the liver, confirming earlier results.
How it was done
Treatment options for fatty liver disease linked to obesity are limited. The authors wanted to test whether daily rapeseed oil, which is high in alpha linolenic acid, could help.
27 obese men ate a calorie-matched diet that included either 50 g of refined rapeseed oil or refined olive oil every day for 8 weeks. Liver fat, glucose metabolism and blood markers were measured before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a small study in 27 obese men, so the results may not apply to women, other body weights or other groups.
- It lasted 8 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany; Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany
The paper
- Title
- Dietary Rapeseed Oil Supplementation Reduces Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Men-A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kruse M, Kemper M, Gancheva S, et al (2020). Dietary Rapeseed Oil Supplementation Reduces Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Men-A Randomized Controlled Trial. Molecular nutrition & food research. doi:10.1002/mnfr.202000419PubMed 32920973DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error