Composition and Nutrition Profile

Per 100g, soybean oil has 16g of saturated fat, 23g of mono-unsaturated fat, and 58g of poly-unsaturated fat.The major unsaturated fatty acids in soybean oil triglycerides are the poly-unsaturates, alpha-linolenic acid (C-18:3), 7-10%, and linoleic acid (C-18:2), 51%; and the mono-unsaturate, oleic acid (C-18:1), 23% . It also contains the saturated fatty acids, stearic acid, (C-18:0), 4%, and palmitic acid, (c-16:0), 10%.

Comparison to other vegetable oils

Vegetable oils
Type Saturated
fatty acids
Mono-
unsaturated
fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids Oleic acid
(ω-9)
Smoke point
Total poly linolenic acid
(ω-3)
Linoleic acid
(ω-6)
Not hydrogenated
Canola (rapeseed) 7.365 63.276 28.142 9-11 19-21 - 400 °F (204 °C)
Coconut 91.00 6.000 3.000 - 2 6 350 °F (177 °C)
Corn 12.948 27.576 54.677 1 58 28 450 °F (232 °C)
Cottonseed 25.900 17.800 51.900 1 54 19 420 °F (216 °C)
Flaxseed/Linseed (European) 6 – 9 10 – 22 68 – 89 56 – 71 12 – 18 10 – 22 225 °F (107 °C)
Olive 14.00 72.00 14.00 <1.5 9–20 - 380 °F (193 °C)
Palm 49.300 37.000 9.300 - 10 40 455 °F (235 °C)
Peanut 16.900 46.200 32.000 - 32 48 437 °F (225 °C)
Safflower
(>70% linoleic)
8.00 15.00 75.00 - - - 410 °F (210 °C)
Safflower
(high oleic)
7.541 75.221 12.820 - - - 410 °F (210 °C)
Soybean 15.650 22.783 57.740 7 54 24 460 °F (238 °C)
Sunflower
(<60% linoleic)
10.100 45.400 40.100 0.200 39.800 45.300 440 °F (227 °C)
Sunflower
(>70% oleic)
9.859 83.689 3.798 - - - 440 °F (227 °C)
Fully hydrogenated
Cottonseed (hydrog.) 93.600 1.529 .587
Palm (hydrogenated) 47.500 40.600 7.500
Soybean (hydrogen.) 21.100 73.700 .400 .096
Values as percent (%) by weight of total fat.

Application

Soybean oil is mostly used for frying and baking. It is also used as a condiment for salads.

Comparative properties of common cooking fats (per 100g)
Total fat Saturated fat Monounsaturated fat Polyunsaturated fat Smoke point
100g 11g 20g (84g in high oleic variety) 69g (4g in high oleic variety) 225 °C (437 °F)
100g 16g 23g 58g 257 °C (495 °F)
100g 7g 63g 28g 205 °C (401 °F)
100g 14g 73g 11g 190 °C (374 °F)
100g 15g 30g 55g 230 °C (446 °F)
100g 17g 46g 32g 225 °C (437 °F)
100g 25g 38g 37g 213 °C (415 °F)
71g 23g (34%) 8g (11%) 37g (52%) 165 °C (329 °F)
100g 39g 45g 11g 190 °C (374 °F)
94g 52g (55%) 32g (34%) 3g (3%) 200°C (400°F)
81g 51g (63%) 21g (26%) 3g (4%) 150 °C (302 °F)
 

NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED

Soybean Oil

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.[/p] 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.

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.[/p] 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.