Research Objective

• To identify if a person's genetics influence their blood glucose levels after canola oil consumption

Project Description

Preliminary data from a previous trial, the COMIT II trial, showed that not everyone had improvements in glucose levels following the consumption of canola oil. This is most likely due to a stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) genotype that in some people causes higher glucose levels after consuming canola oil, while others have their glucose levels lowered. This study proposes to to investigate if the health benefits associated with canola oil are influenced by a person's genetics and to help lay the foundation for personalized dietary advice related to canola oil. Understanding why different people respond differently to canola oil will also help address discrepancies in the scientific literature regarding the health benefits associated with the consumption of this vegetable oil.

The results of this study showed minor, but significant reductions in the fasting blood glucose of individuals who consumed the oil. Individuals who had a particular allele (type of gene) had higher fasting blood glucose after consuming a blend of Western oils but canola oil and high-oleic canola oil prevented this higher blood glucose level when they were consumed. Therefore, the findings of this study may provide the basis to develop personalized dietary advice to improve health in individuals with this particular allele, but also individuals in general in regards to oil consumption in their diets.