Index

• The Marketing Edge
• Versatile & Affordable
• Nutrition Profile: From Omega-3 to Vitamin E
• Functionality for Life After Trans Fat
• Spotlight on Low-Linolenic and High-Oleic Oil

NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED
Liquid soybean oil is among the healthiest of all edible oils and has a very favorable fatty acid profile. It is low in saturated fat, high in polyunsaturated fat and contains monounsaturated fat. The Institute of Medicine's Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) acknowledged that unsaturated fatty acids reduce blood cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease when they replace saturated fats in the diet, and the report provided recommended intakes for both linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

OMEGA-3 & OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS
Soybean oil is one of the few non-fish sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have various physiological benefits including cardioprotective effects. While fish oil is the preferred source of omega-3s because of the bioavailability of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in soybean oil is the principal source of omega-3s in the American diet. Researchers are currently developing soybeans with increased amounts of stearidonic acid (SDA), EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids to meet the growing demand for heart-healthy ingredients.

Omega-6 fatty acids, found naturally in soybean oil, may also decrease risk of heart disease, according to a science advisory published by the American Heart Association in January 2009. Containing about 50 percent omega-6 fatty acids, soybean oil is one of the most concentrated sources of this polyunsaturated fat.

VITAMIN E
Soybean oil is the primary commercial source of alpha-tocopherol, also known as vitamin E. Vitamin E is the body's primary lipid-soluble antioxidant defense against free radical induced cell damage, which has been linked to a number of cancers, heart disease, cataracts, premature aging and arthritis.

+ Of the major vegetable oils consumed in the United States, including corn, cottonseed, canola, palm, peanut, sunflower and soybean oil, seventy-one percent is soybean oil. And, soybean oil is the most widely produced edible oil in the world.

PHYTOSTEROLS
Soybean oil contains a number of phytosterols including β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol. In particular, β-sitosterol and its hydrogenated and esterified derivatives, known as sitostanol esters, have been shown to reduce serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent without decreasing levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol.

Soybean oil provides 327 mg of phytosterols per 100 grams and is a common source of phytosterol preparations. A number of margarines, spreads and salad dressing products containing β-sitosterol or sitostanol esters are being marketed as cholesterol-lowering products.

+ Sixty-five percent of Americans would be more likely to purchase products reformulated to eliminate trans fats, according to the United Soybean Board's 2008 Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition survey.

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