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TUESDAY, June 24, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- A blend of tropical oils used for cooking can actually fight fat and cholesterol, say researchers at McGill University in Montreal.
They've completed two studies on the cooking oil blend that includes 67 percent tropical oils, 13 percent olive oil, 6 percent coconut oil and 5 percent flaxseed oil. It's called Functional Oil, and it was developed by McGill scientists.
The Functional Oil is composed of medium-chain triglycerides while vegetable cooking oils have long-chain triglycerides. When a person consumes Functional Oil, it's directed towards the liver, where it's burned for energy. It heightens a person's metabolism. The oil isn't stored in the body as fat.
The McGill researchers say there's even some data that suggests Functional Oil may reduce appetite.
The two studies included men and women about 25 pounds overweight. They ate a normal diet, but used Functional Oil instead of other cooking oils.
The studies found that men using Functional Oil lost an average of a pound over a month. Women in the studies didn't lose weight but did experience heightened metabolic rates. Cholesterol levels in both the men and women dropped by an average of 13 percent.
More information
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