Supplementation-Dependent Effects of Vegetable Oils with Varying Fatty Acid Compositions on Anthropometric and Biochemical Parameters in Obese Women

Fatty acid (FA) composition is a determinant of the physiological effects of dietary oils. This study investigated the effects of vegetable oil supplementation with different FA compositions on anthropometric and biochemical parameters in obese women on a hypocaloric diet with lifestyle modifications. Seventy-five women (body mass index, BMI, 30&ndash
39.9kg/m2) were randomized based on 8-week oil supplementation into four experimental groups: the coconut oil group (CoG, n = 18), the safflower oil group (SafG, n = 19), the chia oil group (ChG, n = 19), and the soybean oil placebo group (PG, n = 19). Pre- and post-supplementation weight, anthropometric parameters, and body fat (%BF), and lean mass percentages (%LM) were evaluated, along with biochemical parameters related to lipid and glycidemic profiles. In the anthropometric evaluation, the CoG showed greater weight loss (&Delta
% = &minus
8.54 &plusmn
2.38), and reduced BMI (absolute variation, &Delta
abs = &minus
2.86 &plusmn
0.79), waist circumference (&Delta
6.61 &plusmn
0.85), waist-to-height ratio (&Delta
0.041 &plusmn
0.006), conicity index (&Delta
0.03 &plusmn
0.016), and %BF (&Delta
2.78 &plusmn
0.46), but increased %LM (&Delta
abs = 2.61 &plusmn
1.40) (p &lt
0.001). Moreover, the CoG showed a higher reduction in biochemical parameters of glycemia (&Delta
24.71 &plusmn
8.13) and glycated hemoglobin (&Delta
0.86 &plusmn
0.28) (p &lt
0.001). The ChG showed a higher reduction in cholesterol (&Delta
45.36 &plusmn
0.94), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc
&Delta
42.53 &plusmn
22.65), and triglycerides (&Delta
49.74 &plusmn
26.3), but an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc
abs = 3.73 &plusmn
1.24, p = 0.007). Coconut oil had a more pronounced effect on abdominal adiposity and glycidic profile, whereas chia oil had a higher effect on improving the lipid profile. Indeed, supplementation with different fatty acid compositions resulted in specific responses.