Washington: Researchers have developed a new cooking oil which they say could help reduce cholesterol, lose weight and even heighten metabolism.

Compared to olive oil, which was considered the best cholesterol fighter until now and reduced cholesterol levels by 4.5 per cent, the oil under consideration reduced cholesterol levels by as much as 13 per cent. It is found to be beneficial for both the sexes.

The findings appear in four journals – ‘The International Journal of Obesity’, ‘The Journal of Nutrition’, ‘Obesity Research’, and ‘Metabolism’.

The oil made of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) composed of 67 per cent tropical oils, 13 per cent olive oil, six per cent coconut oil and five per cent flaxseed oil.

The researchers conducted trials over two periods of 27 days on men and women who were overweight by about 25 pounds. Both trial periods were separated by intervals of four weeks.

Explaining how the oil helps in better body balance, they said it is directed towards the liver for combustion and burned as energy. The oil is not stored in the body as fat and heightens the metabolism, which is a key in maintaining a healthy body weight. There is also some provocative data suggesting that oils rich in MCT reduce appetite.

It was found that male participants lost an average of one pound over a month, while female participants experienced heightened metabolic rates. But they did not experience any measurable reduction in body fat. Further, it was found that participants on the oil diet decreased their total body volume and upper body fat.

According to the researchers, controlling obesity is all about engineering a balance between calorie intake and calorie burn.

ANI