Continuing Professional Education Credit

SOY CONNECTION Newsletter Vol. 33, No.1

Unpacking the Science on Seed Oils: Health Benefits Uncovered awards 1.0 CPEU in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program.

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1. Diets high in _______ or ________are known to increase the risk of developing Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

a. Sucrose, glucose

b. Saturated fat, high fructose corn syrup

c. Unsaturated fat, high fructose corn syrup

d. Saturated fat, xylitol

2. Linoleic acid is an essential omega ____ fatty acid that may impede lipid accumulation in the liver and is inversely associated with mortality in women and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults.

a. 3

b. 10

c. 6

d. 20

3. Dominic is a 55-year-old male diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). The hepatologist refers Dominic to you for dietary counseling. Dominic is interested in following a plant forward diet. Research indicates supplementing with linoleic acid increases lean mass and HDL while decreasing trunk fat, inflammatory marker C reactive protein and glucose. Although the benefits of linoleic acid in NAFLD are unknown, it may be beneficial to increase dietary sources such as ________, which is approximately 51-55% linoleic acid.

a. Macadamia nuts

b. Almond milk

c. Avocado

d. Soybean oil

4. Approximately one in four U.S. adults have _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ formerly called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which is often accompanied by central obesity.

a. Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

b. Malabsorptive dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

c. Metabolic dysfunction associated saturated liver disease (MASLD)

d. Mesenchymal dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

5. Stephen is a 42-year-old male with a family history of coronary heart disease and hypercholesterolemia. He has heard the type of dietary fat can influence blood cholesterol levels, particularly saturated fats. During his counseling session with you, he says he frequently eats cheese sticks and beef jerky. You recommend swapping these high saturated fat items for:

a. Almonds and edamame

b. Almonds and chocolate almond milk

c. A chocolate bar and sweetened yogurt

d. Dried fruit and chocolate covered yogurt bites

6. Stephen returns and says he is enjoying his new snacks but is confused about food labels and how to determine the “healthier” fat content. For example, he shows you a label for a protein bar that contains 10 grams of total fat and 5 grams of saturated fat. Trans fats are not listed. He is wondering how much monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are in the protein bar. What advice do you give him?

a. You advise him to avoid all foods that contain saturated fats, they are unhealthy especially protein bars.

b. You show him how to manually calculate by subtracting the saturated and trans fats from the total fat grams listed on the label; the remaining fat grams are unsaturated fats.

c. You tell him that the mono and poly unsaturated fat content of foods is not important, otherwise it would be listed on the nutrition fact label.

d. You advise him that total fat content is the most important item on the label and that total fat over 5% of the daily value is bad.

7. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend limiting daily saturated fat intake to less than _______ of total daily calories.

a. 1%

b. 2%

c. 6%

d. 10%

8. Unsaturated fats contain one or more __________ between carbon atoms, are typically ________ at room temperature, and commonly found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils like soybean, canola, avocado, and olive oil.

a. Single, solid

b. Triple, solid

c. Single, liquid

d. Double, liquid

9. Marion is a 30-year-old patient in the outpatient clinic being seen for elevated cholesterol. The physician refers Marion to you for dietary counseling and you learn Marion follows a flexitarian diet, eating mostly plant-based foods but occasionally eating meat or fish. She is concerned because she saw on social media that seed oils, which is what she uses for cooking, are harmful and lead to type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, so she switched to using butter and coconut oil. Examination of peer reviewed data shows:

a. A direct correlation between consumption of seed oils and elevated markers of cardiovascular disease including blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers.

b. Replacing saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a reduction in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B.

c. Only seed oils derived from corn, soybeans and safflower increase atherogenic lipoproteins and lead to heart disease, thus these oils should be limited.

d. Consuming seed oils high in linoleic acid promotes inflammation and oxidative stress, two key factors in the development of heart disease and higher levels of oxidized LDL.

10. Based on the preponderance of evidence showing no adverse health effects of seed oils or their constituents, and strong evidence demonstrating cardiometabolic health benefits of consuming unsaturated fatty acids, you advise Marion to:

a. Continue to avoid seed oils, specifically soy and safflower oil, since these raise unhealthy blood lipids.

b. Increase use of coconut oil and replace butter with lard since it is less processed than butter and more natural.

c. Explain that several scientific studies show replacement of saturated fatty acids, like butter, lard and coconut oil, with oils rich in unsaturated fats, like seed oils, consistently improves atherogenic lipoproteins.

d. Continue to follow the dietary advice given on social media since it is the most up to date and accurate information available.

11. Which of the following plant-based oils are rich sources of saturated fat?

a. Soybean oil

b. Palm oil

c. Coconut oil

d. B and C

12. A blog post states, “seed oils like soybean oil are dangerous to your health and cause type 2 diabetes.” Evidence from clinical trials and meta-analyses show:

a. Replacing saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids improves fasting glucose, HbA1C, C-peptide, and glucose-insulin homeostasis.

b. Seed oils high in PUFA increase insulin and glucose levels, even in healthy adults, and should be avoided.

c. All dietary fat increases glucose levels and should be limited or eaten with carbohydrates to lessen the glucose spike.

d. Intake of seed oils rich in omega-6 linoleic acid promotes inflammation and oxidative stress in those with dysglycemia.