Plant Oil Helps Reduce Belly Fat

COLUMBIA, Mo.New research from the University of Missouri has found plant oil may reduce belly fat by suppressing a bodily enzyme associated with insulin resistance. The findings suggest sterculic oil may help ward off obesity-related diseases, including diabetes, stroke, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

James Perfield, assistant professor of food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) added sterculic oil to the feed of rats that are genetically disposed to have a high amount of abdominal fat. He tested the rats over the course of 13 weeks and found that rats given a diet supplemented with sterulic oil had less abdominal fat and a decreased likelihood of developing diabetes. He  gave the rats a relatively small dose of oil each day, comparable to giving three grams to a 250-pound human.

"The oil from this seed is very similar to other vegetable oils," he said. "It shares many of the same chemical properties, which could allow it to be easily substituted with other oils. While eating the seed directly may be possible, it's easier to control the amount of oil if you extract it directly."