Plant oil may help reduce obesity

COLUMBIA, Mo., March 23 (UPI) -- Sterculic oil, a type of plant oil, may be able to reduce belly fat in humans, a University of Missouri researcher says.

James Perfield, assistant professor of food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, says sterculic oil is extracted from seeds of the Sterculia foetida tree and the oil contains unique fatty acids known to suppress a bodily enzyme associated with insulin resistance.

Previous research indicates reducing the enzyme in rodents improves their insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of diabetes or heart disease, Perfield says.

"This research paves the way for potential use in humans," Perfield says in a statement. "Reducing belly fat is a key to reducing the incidence of serious disease and this oil could have a future as a nutritional supplement."

In the study involving rats genetically bred to have a lot of abdominal fat, Perfield added sterculic oil to the feed of some of the rats. After 13 weeks, Perfield found rats given a diet supplemented with sterculic oil had less abdominal fat and a decreased risk of developing diabetes.

Perfield presented the findings at the Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Dysfunction Symposium in Keystone, Colo.