Comparison of the effects of canola oil with sunflower oil on blood pressure, lipid profile, apoproteins, lipoprotein(a), total antioxidant capacity, and CRP in hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women

Substituting dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially omega-3 fatty acids, both found in canola oil, can reduce the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, particularly in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of canola oil with sunflower oil on blood pressure, lipid profile, apoproteins, lipoprotein (a), total antioxidant capacity, and CRP in hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women. We performed a double-blind randomized clinical trial on 44 hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women randomly divided into two groups receiving, daily for 8 weeks, either 30gr of canola oil or 30gr of sunflower oil. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after intervention and analyzed for serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, HDL-c, lipoprotein a [Lp (a)], apoproteinB (APOB), apoprotein A-I [APOA-I]، CRP, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also measured and compared between the 2 groups at baseline and after intervention. There was a statistically significant decrease in diastolic pressure in the canola group, as compared to sunflower group, at the end of the period. The treatment also brought about a significant increase in HDL-c and significant decreases in the systolic blood pressure and TG/HDL-c in the canola group, whereas in the sunflower group mean serum LDL-c, TAC, and ApoB decreased significantly. The levels of ApoA-I, TC/HDL-c, and LDL-c/HDL-c decreased significantly in both groups. Further analysis of the data showed that there were no significant differences in Lp (a), CRP, and TAC between the two groups at the end of study. As compared to sunflower oil, canola oil has more desirable effects on diastolic blood pressure in hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women.