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Soybean Oil

Level 5 — High concernIn Winter's Dictionary3 sources

Soybean Oil is a other — Edible oil used in defoamers, margarine, shortenings, candy

What it does

Edible oil used in defoamers, margarine, shortenings, candy

Where you'll see it

margarine, shortenings, candy, soap, MSG, dough mixes, soy sauce, salad dressings

What the research says

May cause allergic reactions; allergenicity inadequately tested per JECFA [ultra-processed-people] One of four RBD oils (palm, soy, canola, sunflower) that make up 90% of the global oil market. Bland, flavourless, interchangeable — Paul Hart's argument is that these refined-bleached-deodorised oils belong in NOVA group 4. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil generates trans fats, linked to hundreds of thousands of heart attacks per year before regulatory action. [metabolical] Industrial soybean oil is the largest dietary source of omega-6 linoleic acid, precursor to arachidonic acid and pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes. Linoleic acid concentration in human adipose rose from 9% (1959) to 21% (2008). The omega-6:omega-3 ratio on a processed diet is 20:1 vs the evolutionary 1:1, driving systemic inflammation. Cis-double bonds are oxidative-stress targets, and heating beyond smoke point isomerizes them into trans fats. The Sydney Diet Heart Study showed substituting saturated fat with soybean-oil linoleic acid raised heart attack risk 62% and death risk 70%.

Regulatory status

  • US FDA: GRAS
  • Notes: EAF; allergenicity needs reevaluation per JECFA

Sources

  • Metabolical (Lustig) — Chapter 18; Chapter 20: excess omega-6 fatty acids (seed oils like soybean oil), which are pro-inflammatory… on a processed food diet, this rises to 20:1
  • Ultra-Processed People (van Tulleken) — Chapter 2: The invention of UPF: This is the process used to make soybean oil, palm oil, canola (rapeseed) oil and sunflower oil — four oils that make up 90 per cent of the global market
  • A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): may cause allergic reactions; JECFA reports allergenicity of soy bean oil has been inadequately tested