Think olive oil is healthy? Shockingly study says it contributes to obesity

Time of India

11-06-2025

Image credits: Getty Images
It's time for an oil change, really. A recent study has stunned people with the news that olive oil actually contributes to obesity.
For years, olive oil has been consumed as a healthy alternative to other cooking oils. According to the North American Olive Oil Association, more than
50%
of American households use olive oil due to its flavour and health benefits. According to a
study
published in the National Library of Medicine, olive oil has anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, renoprotective and anti-neurodegenerative agents.
However, a recent study published in the journal Cell Reports revealed that eating a high-fat diet containing a huge amount of oleic acid- a type of fatty acid found in olive oil, can cause more obesity than other types of dietary fats.
Oleic acid, a monosaturated fat associated with obesity, leads the body to make more fat cells. High levels of the acid boost a signalling protein, AKT2 and reduce the activity of a regulating protein LXR, to result in the faster growth of the precursor cells that form new fat cells.
"We know that the types of fat that people eat have changed during the obesity epidemic. We wanted to know whether simply overeating a diet rich in fat causes obesity, or whether the composition of these fatty acids that make up the oils in the diet is important. Do specific fat molecules trigger responses in the cells?" said Michael Rudolph, Ph.D, assistant professor of biochemistry and physiology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and member of OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center to Medical Xpress.
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Rudolph and his team which included other collaborators at Yale University School of Medicine and New York University School of Medicine, carried out the research by feeding mice a variety of specialized diets rich in particular individual fatty acids, including those found in coconut oil, peanut oil, milk, lard and soybean oil.
Oleic acid was the only one that led to precursor cells that gave rise to fat cells to proliferate more than other fatty acids.
"You can think of the fat cells as an army," explained Rudolph. "When you give oleic acid, it initially increases the number of 'fat cell soldiers' in the army, which creates a larger capacity to store excess dietary nutrients. Over time, if the excess nutrients overtake the number of fat cells, obesity can occur, which can then lead to cardiovascular disease or diabetes if not controlled."
He suggested consuming fats in moderation and from a variety of sources. "Relatively balanced levels of oleic acid seem to be beneficial, but higher and prolonged levels may be detrimental. If someone is at risk for heart disease, high levels of oleic acid may not be a good idea."
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