Soybean Oil Trial of cArdiovascular Risk

Inclusion criteria

• Age 30 to 70 years at beginning of study
• LDL-cholesterol between 120 and 160 mg/dl
• Less than 2+ risk factors for coronary heart disease (risk factors include: blood pressure > 140/90 mm Hg or on blood pressure medication; HDL-cholesterol < 40 mg/dl; age greater than 45 yrs for males & greater than 55 yrs for females; family history of premature coronary heart disease (CHD in male first degree relative <55 years; CHD in female first degree relative <65 years)

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of kidney disease, liver disease, gout, hyperthyroidism, untreated or unstable hypothyroidism, certain cancers, gastrointestinal disease, pancreatic disease, other metabolic diseases, or malabsorption syndromes
• Use of prescription or over-the-counter medications or supplements that alter lipid metabolism.
• Women who have given birth during the previous 12 months
• Pregnant women or women who plan to become pregnant or become pregnant during the study
• Lactating women
• Type 2 diabetes requiring the use of oral antidiabetic agents or insulin
• History of bariatric or certain other surgeries related to weight control
• Use of prescription or over-the-counter antiobesity medications or supplements (e.g., phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, caffeine) during and for at least 6 months prior to the start of the study or a history of a surgical intervention for obesity
• Unwillingness to abstain from herbal supplements for two weeks prior to the study and during the study
• Smokers or other tobacco users (during 6 months prior to the start of the study)
• History of eating disorders or other dietary patterns which are not consistent with the dietary intervention (e.g., vegetarians, very low fat diets, high protein diets)
• Known (self-reported) allergy or adverse reaction to study foods
• Active cardiovascular disease (such as a heart attack or procedure within the past three months or participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program within the last three months, stroke, or history/treatment for transient ischemic attacks in the past three months, or documented history of pulmonary embolus in the past six months)
• Unable or unwilling to give informed consent or communicate with study staff
• Self-report of alcohol or substance abuse within the past 12 months and/or current acute treatment or rehabilitation program for these problems (long-term participation in Alcoholics Anonymous is not an exclusion)
• Other medical, psychiatric, or behavioral factors that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator may interfere with study participation or the ability to follow the intervention protocol