SNI Global

The Soy Nutrition Institute provides information, research, and discussion about the benefits of soy to your health.

SOYbean oil

Commonly Labeled as Vegetable Oil

Soybean oil is recommended as an essential source of dietary fat by leading health authorities, including the World Health Organization, American Heart Association, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Population studies show that higher intake of linoleic acid – the primary fatty acid in soybean oil – is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease,1-2 type 2 diabetes,3 and overall mortality. Current human evidence does not indicate that soybean oil consumption increases the risk of obesity. In fact, both observational and human intervention studies show that intake of linoleic acid is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and reduced body fat.4-5

Soybean oil, the predominant ingredient in most commercial vegetable oils, provides:

• 55–58% polyunsaturated fat

• 12–15% saturated fat

• 22–30% monounsaturated fat6

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as those found in soybean oil has been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol and may reduce the risk of CVD7 – the leading cause of death in the United States.8

FDA Qualified Health Claim

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes the cardiovascular benefits of soybean with a qualified health claim: “Supportive but inconclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1½ tablespoons (19.5 grams) of soybean oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”9
Soybean oil is primarily comprised of unsaturated fat and has 2 grams of saturated fat per serving. A recent review of scientific literature highlights the broad health benefits of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid required for our bodies to function.
Emerging evidence suggests that diets higher in linoleic acid may support improved body composition, including a reduction in body fat.10

Practical Applications

Soybean oil has a neutral flavor and is a great choice for a wide array of cooking and baking applications. It is often used in dressings, margarine, shortenings, sauces, baked goods, and more. Commonly labeled as vegetable oil, soybean oil is the most widely consumed edible oil in the United States and the world.11
“Seed oils” are a term being incorporated into nutrition lexicon. Seed oils are, as the name implies, oils extracted from seeds including corn, soybean, rice bran, grapeseed, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower. To learn more about seed oils, visit our seed oils webpage.

Resources

Fact sheet: Seed Oils and Health: Examining and Evaluating the Evidence

Fact sheet: 5 Facts About Seed Oils

Fact sheet: A Guide to Cooking Oils: Nutrition and Applications

Expert Q&A: Unpacking the Science of Seed Oils

The Soy Connection Winter 2025 newsletter: Unpacking the Science on Seed Oils: Health Benefits Uncovered

Article: Soybean Oil Can Positively Contribute to a Healthful Diet

News release: Data Support Health Benefits of Seed Oils High in Unsaturated Fatty Acids

News release: New Manuscript Reinforces Scientific Consensus on The Health Benefits of Seed Oils

World Health Organization: Healthy Diet

American Heart Association: Healthy Cooking Oils

EatRightPro: Nutrition Fact Check: Seed Oils

Video: How Soybean Oil is Made

REFERENCES

  1. Pan A, Chen M, Chowdhury R, et al. α-Linolenic acid and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96(6):1262-1273.
  2. Del Gobbo LC, Imamura F, Aslibekyan S, et al. ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid biomarkers and coronary heart disease: pooling project of 19 cohort studies. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(8):1155-1166.
  3. Zong G, Liu G, Willett WC, et al. Associations between linoleic acid intake and incident Type 2 Diabetes among U.S. Men and Women. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(8):1406-13. https://10.2337/dc19-0412
  4. Yang Z, Lan Y, Yang K, et al. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: Inverse association with body fat percentage and obesity risk. Nutr Res. 2025;135:32-41.
  5. Malin Igra A, Ekstrom S, Andersson N, et al. Biomarkers of dietary PUFA intake in childhood and adolescence in relation to cardiometabolic risk factors in young adulthood: a prospective cohort study in Sweden. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025;121:558-66.
  6. Dorni C, Sharma P, Saikia G, et al. Fatty acid profile of edible oils and fats consumed in India. Food Chem. 2018;2389-15.
  7. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.; 2020.
  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. FastStats. Deaths and Mortality. Published online. Reviewed: November 21, 2020
  9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Soybean Oil and Reduced Risk of Coronary Heart Disease.” July 31, 2017.
    https://www.fda.gov/media/106649/download
  10. Zong G, Liu G, Willett WC, et al. Associations between linoleic acid intake and incident Type 2 Diabetes among U.S. Men and Women. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(8):1406-13. https://10.2337/dc19-0412
  11. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service: 2019 ERS Oilseed Yearbook.

This page is supported by SNI Global and U.S. Soy.