Cottonseed oil and blood cholesterol in adults with high cholesterol
What it found
In adults with high cholesterol, an 8-week diet enriched with cottonseed oil lowered total and LDL cholesterol more than olive oil.
It also improved blood sugar and fat responses after a heavy meal.
What they found
Studies in people
Fasting cholesterol levels
Total cholesterol dropped by 17.0 mg/dL in the cottonseed oil group compared with 2.18 mg/dL in the olive oil group. LDL cholesterol fell by 19.7 mg/dL with cottonseed oil and 5.72 mg/dL with olive oil. These larger drops happened in people.
HDL cholesterol changes
Both groups saw small rises in HDL cholesterol over the 8 weeks. In people taking cottonseed oil, it went from 56.5 mg/dL to 60.2 mg/dL. In the olive oil group, it rose from 59.7 mg/dL to 64.1 mg/dL.
After-meal blood sugar
When participants drank a high-fat shake at the end of the study, blood sugar responses differed between the two groups. People on the cottonseed oil diet handled the heavy meal better than those on the olive oil diet.
After-meal blood fats
Triglyceride levels after the high-fat shake also differed between groups. The cottonseed oil diet appeared to protect against a rise in these blood fats after the meal, while the olive oil diet did not.
Body weight changes
Participants in both groups gained a small amount of weight over the 8 weeks. This happened regardless of which oil they consumed.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that enriching the diet with cottonseed oil led to meaningful improvements in fasting and after-meal blood fats and blood sugar in adults with high cholesterol.
- They suggest that cottonseed oil could be a practical cooking oil to include in the diets of people looking to manage their cholesterol.
- They call for future studies to test lower amounts of cottonseed oil, different lengths of time, and other markers of heart disease risk.
How it was done
Scientists know that eating more unsaturated fats can help heart health, but it is unclear which type works best. The authors wanted to compare cottonseed oil, which is rich in polyunsaturated fats, with olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fats.
The researchers studied 43 men and women with high cholesterol for 8 weeks. Participants received meals and snacks making up about 60% of their daily energy needs, with 30% of that energy coming from either cottonseed oil or olive oil. Blood tests were taken before and after the diet, including during a 5-hour period after drinking a high-fat shake.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only 8 weeks, so it cannot show what happens to cholesterol or heart disease risk over many years.
- The study used a large amount of oil, providing about 30% of daily energy needs, so the results might not apply to people eating smaller amounts.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Georgia, USA
The paper
- Title
- Blood Lipid Responses to Diets Enriched with Cottonseed Oil Compared With Olive Oil in Adults with High Cholesterol in a Randomized Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Prater MC, Scheurell AR, Paton CM, Cooper JA (2022). Blood Lipid Responses to Diets Enriched with Cottonseed Oil Compared With Olive Oil in Adults with High Cholesterol in a Randomized Trial. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1093/jn/nxac099Free full textPubMed 35511204DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error