Cottonseed oil and blood fats in adults at heart risk
What it found
Adding cottonseed oil to the diet for four weeks lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in adults at risk of heart disease.
The biggest drops happened when it made up 20% or 30% of daily calories.
What they found
Studies in people
Total cholesterol dropped
Compared with the control group, total cholesterol fell by 10.2 mg/dL in the 10% group, 12.5 mg/dL in the 20% group, and 13.9 mg/dL in the 30% group.
LDL cholesterol fell
LDL cholesterol dropped by 11.7 mg/dL in the 20% group and 12.9 mg/dL in the 30% group compared with no change in controls. The 10% group showed a smaller drop that might have been due to chance.
Triglycerides after meals
After eating a high-fat test meal, triglycerides were 14.7 mg/dL lower in the 30% group compared with the other three groups. This was measured in people.
Slight weight gain
People in all three cottonseed oil groups gained a small amount of weight over the four weeks. The control group did not gain weight.
Other findings
Foods were well liked
Participants rated the taste, texture, and smell of the study shakes and snacks about the same across all four groups.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that adding cottonseed oil at 10%, 20%, or 30% of daily calories improved fasting blood fats in adults at risk of heart disease.
- They note the strongest results came from the 20% and 30% doses, which lowered LDL cholesterol by amounts similar to some cholesterol medicines.
- They advise that future studies should test lower doses for longer periods and compare cottonseed oil directly with other high-PUFA oils.
How it was done
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood fats are a major risk factor. Earlier work showed cottonseed oil improved blood fats, but only when people ate very large amounts of fat overall.
Ninety-one adults with obesity or high cholesterol were randomly split into four groups for 28 days. Three groups got shakes and snacks where cottonseed oil provided 10%, 20%, or 30% of their daily calories. A control group got the same foods made with a blend of oils matching a typical American diet.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only four weeks, so it cannot show what happens to blood fats over months or years.
- The study measured blood fats rather than actual heart attacks or strokes, so it cannot prove cottonseed oil prevents heart disease.
- Most participants were women, so the results might differ in men.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflict of interest JAC reports financial support was provided by Cotton Incorporated. All other authors report no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Georgia, United States; Pennington Biomedical Research Center, United States
The paper
- Title
- Dose-Response Effects of Cottonseed Oil on Blood Lipid Responses in Adults at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Hawkins CD, Prater MC, Ward CA, Paton CM, Cooper JA (2026). Dose-Response Effects of Cottonseed Oil on Blood Lipid Responses in Adults at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.11.006Free full textPubMed 41238122DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error