Cooking Oil Impact on Cardiometabolic Risk Among Asian Indians

Background: The type of cooking oil used is an under recognized dietary factor influencing cardiometabolic disease in India. Little is known about how commonly used oils relate to cardiometabolic risk in Asian Indians. Methods: We analyzed data from 18,090 adults (mean age=42y, 51% female) in the nationally representative ICMR-INDIAB study. Diet was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire where participants reported their top 3 cooking oils. Dyslipidemia was defined as high LDL-C (≥130 mg/dl), high triglycerides (≥150 mg/dl), and low HDL-C (men <40mg/dl, women <50 mg/dl) per NCEP ATP III guidelines. Logistic regression using sampling weights evaluated associations between main cooking oil, dyslipidemia, general (BMI≥25 kg/m 2 ) and abdominal obesity (waist >90cm men or >80cm women), adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors. Results: Cooking oil preferences showed distinct regional patterns: mustard oil was predominant in North, East, Northeast, and Central regions; peanut (groundnut) oil in the West; palm, sunflower, and peanut oils in South, coconut oil in the state of Kerala (South); and soybean oil in states of Maharashtra (West), Madhya Pradesh (Central), and Mizoram (Northeast). Across India, users of coconut oil [OR=2.89 (2.03-4.11)], butter/ghee [OR=3.45 (1.48-8.03)] sunflower [OR=1.49 (1.12-1.97)], soybean [OR=1.81 (1.32-2.48)], or palm oil [OR=1.77 (1.27-2.46)] had a significantly higher odds of high LDL-C than those using peanut oil. Conversely, compared to peanut oil users, users of mustard oil [OR=0.68 (0.55-0.86)], sunflower oil [OR=0.80 (0.64-0.99)], and soybean oil [OR=0.72 (0.57-0.91)] had lower odds of low HDL-C. The likelihood of general obesity was higher among those using coconut oil [OR=1.45 (1.08-1.96)], sunflower oil [OR=1.45 (1.17-1.80)], or butter/ghee [OR=2.34 (1.12-4.89)] when compared to peanut oil users. No associations were observed with abdominal obesity. When examining fatty acid subtypes from cooking oils, each 2%E from saturated fat was associated with 6% higher odds of high LDL-C and abdominal obesity, while each 2%E from PUFA was linked to 3% lower odds of abdominal obesity. Conclusions: In this nationally representative sample of Indian adults, cooking oil choice was significantly associated with cardiometabolic risk. Promoting healthier oils, such as peanut and mustard oil, via dietary guidelines and the Public Distribution System, may help reduce dyslipidemia and obesity in India.