Dietary Rapeseed Oil Supplementation Reduces Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Men-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Metabolic disorders
• Hepatology
• Nutritional science

Background:

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health concern, particularly in obese individuals, with limited effective treatment options.
• Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as alpha linolenic acid (ALA), have shown promise in resolving intrahepatic lipid accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of daily refined rapeseed oil (RA) or refined olive oil (OL) supplementation on intrahepatic lipid content (IHL) and glucose metabolism in obese NAFLD patients.

Main Methods:

• 27 obese men received an isocaloric diet with 50 g of either RA or OL daily for 8 weeks.
• Intervention effects were assessed using hepatic proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies, and blood tests.

Main Results:

• Refined rapeseed oil (RA) significantly reduced IHL (13.1% to 11.1%), while olive oil (OL) showed no significant change (13.3% to 15.7%).
• RA supplementation led to a 21% reduction in serum free fatty acids (FFA) and a 1.68-fold increase in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Conclusions:

• Refined rapeseed oil (RA) demonstrates a beneficial effect on hepatic lipid metabolism, evidenced by reduced IHL and serum FFA.
• The observed increase in IL-6 with RA suggests a potential liver-protective mechanism, consistent with prior research.