Comparison of sunflower oil and canola oil consumption on serum lipid profile in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our objective was to evaluate the impact of canola oil (CO) and sunflower oil (SO) consumption on serum lipid profiles in adults, which included total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and VLDL-C. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the impact of CO on lipid parameters in comparison to SO were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through March 2025. A random-effects model was employed to calculate the Standardized Mean Differences (SMD) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). The methodological quality and risk of bias of the included trials were evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I² statistic. Thirteen RCTs with 771 participants were included. Pooled results showed no statistically significant differences between CO and SO for TC (SMD: -0.01, 95% CI: -0.31 to 0.29, p = 0.96), LDL-C (SMD: -0.17, 95% CI: -0.41, 0.07, p = 0.17), HDL-C (SMD: 0.05, 95% CI: -0.2, 0.29, p = 0.71), TG (SMD: 0.14, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.29, p = 0.07), and VLDL-C (SMD: 0.19, 95% CI: -0.42, 0.80, p = 0.54). No significant differences were observed in any lipid parameter, and CO and SO exhibited comparable effects on serum lipid levels. Lipid-lowering or heart-healthy diets may incorporate either oil. Additional well-designed clinical trials are required to verify these findings in various populations.