What is cottonseed oil

Cottonseed oil is a cooking oil extracted from the seeds of cotton plants of various species, mainly Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium herbaceum, that are grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil. Cottonseed oil is a common vegetable oil used in a variety of foods in the United States and worldwide. Cottonseed oil consumption throughout the world has remained relatively steady over the past 5 years with approximately 4.8 million metric tons consumed in 2006/2007 and 4.6 in 2009/2010 ¹. In the US, consumption of cottonseed oil ranks behind corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil ², but it is used in the manufacture of potato chips and baked goods and may be used in some margarines and salad dressings. Despite its common uses in food production, its role in lipid metabolism in humans remains largely unknown ³.

The crude cottonseed oil is extracted from the seed basically in two ways: by mechanical pressing, or through the use of chemical extractants or solvents. This oil is usually dark in color due to the presence of pigments produced by glands present in the cotyledons and hypocotyl of the seeds. It contains mainly the palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids, which correspond to approximately 24%, 22%, and 52%, respectively, although other acids can be found in lower amounts ⁴. The cottonseed oil is also rich in vitamin E, an important natural antioxidant that provides it with greater oxidative stability ⁵. Once the crude oil is extracted, it must be processed and refined before it can be used for consumption, in order to remove impurities, including free fatty acids, phospholipids, pigments and volatile compounds. The three key steps of refining, bleaching, and deodorization in producing finished cottonseed oil act to eliminate the gossypol level. Ferric chloride is often used to decolorize cottonseed oil.

Although the crude cottonseed oil has recognized nutritional properties, the biggest obstacle to its utilization in diets for monogastrics is the presence of a toxic polyphenolic pigment (C₃₀H₃₀O₈) named gossypol, present exclusively inside glands distributed in the leaves, stems, roots, and especially seeds of cotton (Gossypium sp.) ⁶. Gossypol can trigger undesirable effects in the body, greatly reducing the productive performance of animals ⁷. In general, the signs of toxicity from gossypol involve loss of appetite; low weight gain; hypoprothrombinemia; diarrhea; reduction of hemoglobin, erythrocytes, and serum protein; edematous fluid in the abdominal cavity, lungs, and heart; degenerative diseases of the liver, spleen, and small intestine; discoloration of yolk; and decreased hatchability of eggs ⁸. Gossypol is a dimeric sesquiterpene found in cottonseed (Gossypium sp.). Gossypol is an orally-active polyphenolic aldehyde with potential antineoplastic activity. Derived primarily from unrefined cottonseed oil, gossypol induces cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and inducing apoptosis. This agent also inhibits cell-signaling enzymes, resulting in inhibition of cell growth, and may act as a male contraceptive ⁹.

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an arborous plant from the Malvaceae family. It is one of the earliest plants that were cultivated by man and it has been used for over 4,000 years. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is primarily cultivated for fiber used in the textile industry and the oil from the cotton seed ¹⁰. The genus Gossypium spp. includes many species distributed throughout the world, but only four species are grown for cotton fiber: Gossypium hirsutum L., Gossypium barbadense L., Gossypium arboreum L., and Gossypium herbaceum L. The most economically important cotton species is Gossypium hirsutum, which is grown to produce 90% of the world’s cotton ¹¹. Cotton fiber and oil production generate byproducts rich in fat from oil and protein which are used for animal feeding.

Cottonseed oil nutrition facts

Cottonseed oil  is a rich dietary source of 70% unsaturated fatty acids (18% monounsaturated fatty acids [MUFA], and 52% polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA] especially the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid) and 26% saturated fatty acids.

Table 1. Cottonseed oil nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	Tablespoon 13.6 g
Approximates
Water	g	0	0
Energy	kcal	884	120
Energy	kJ	3699	503
Protein	g	0	0
Total lipid (fat)	g	100	13.6
Ash	g	0	0
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	0	0
Fiber, total dietary	g	0	0
Sugars, total	g	0	0
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	0	0
Iron, Fe	mg	0	0
Magnesium, Mg	mg	0	0
Phosphorus, P	mg	0	0
Potassium, K	mg	0	0
Sodium, Na	mg	0	0
Zinc, Zn	mg	0	0
Copper, Cu	mg	0	0
Selenium, Se	µg	0	0
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0	0
Riboflavin	mg	0	0
Niacin	mg	0	0
Pantothenic acid	mg	0	0
Vitamin B-6	mg	0	0
Folate, total	µg	0	0
Folic acid	µg	0	0
Folate, food	µg	0	0
Folate, DFE	µg	0	0
Choline, total	mg	0.2	0
Vitamin B-12	µg	0	0
Vitamin B-12, added	µg	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	0	0
Retinol	µg	0	0
Carotene, beta	µg	0	0
Carotene, alpha	µg	0	0
Cryptoxanthin, beta	µg	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0
Lycopene	µg	0	0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	µg	0	0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	35.3	4.8
Vitamin E, added	mg	0	0
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0	0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	24.7	3.4
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	25.9	3.522
04:00:00	g	0	0
06:00:00	g	0	0
08:00:00	g	0	0
10:00:00	g	0	0
12:00:00	g	0	0
14:00:00	g	0.8	0.109
16:00:00	g	22.7	3.087
18:00:00	g	2.3	0.313
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	17.8	2.421
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.8	0.109
18:1 undifferentiated	g	17	2.312
20:01:00	g	0	0
22:1 undifferentiated	g	0	0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	51.9	7.058
18:2 undifferentiated	g	51.5	7.004
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.2	0.027
18:04:00	g	0	0
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0.1	0.014
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	g	0	0
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	g	0	0
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	g	0	0
Cholesterol	mg	0	0
Phytosterols	mg	324	44
Amino Acids
Tryptophan	g	0	0
Threonine	g	0	0
Isoleucine	g	0	0
Leucine	g	0	0
Lysine	g	0	0
Methionine	g	0	0
Cystine	g	0	0
Phenylalanine	g	0	0
Tyrosine	g	0	0
Valine	g	0	0
Arginine	g	0	0
Histidine	g	0	0
Alanine	g	0	0
Aspartic acid	g	0	0
Glutamic acid	g	0	0
Glycine	g	0	0
Proline	g	0	0
Serine	g	0	0
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0	0
Caffeine	mg	0	0
Theobromine	mg	0	0

[Source ¹² ]

What are oils?

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Oils come from many different plants and from fish. Oils are NOT a food group, but they provide essential nutrients. Therefore, oils are included in the food patterns.

Some commonly eaten oils include: canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Some oils are used mainly as flavorings, such as walnut oil and sesame oil. A number of foods are naturally high in oils, like nuts, olives, some fish, and avocados.

Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats. Check the Nutrition Facts label to find margarines with 0 grams of trans fat. Amounts of trans fat are required to be listed on labels.

Most oils are high in monounsaturated (MUFA) or polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats, and low in saturated fats. Oils from plant sources (vegetable and nut oils) do not contain any cholesterol. In fact, no plant foods contain cholesterol. A few plant oils, however, including coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered to be solid fats.

Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening. Solid fats come from many animal foods and can be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Some common fats are: butter, milk fat, beef fat (tallow, suet), chicken fat, pork fat (lard), stick margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated oil.

Why is it important to consume oils?

Oils are not a food group, but they do provide essential nutrients and are therefore included in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommendations for what to eat. Note that only small amounts of oils are recommended.

Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated (MUFA) fats. Oils are the major source of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) in the diet. PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) contain some fatty acids that are necessary for health – called “essential fatty acids.” Good sources of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, soybean, flaxseed oils, walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pine nuts, sesame, cottonseed oils, pumpkin seeds and fish.

Because oils contain these essential fatty acids, there is an allowance for oils in the food guide.

The MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils do not raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition to the essential fatty acids they contain, oils are the major source of vitamin E in typical American diets.

While consuming some oil is needed for health, oils still contain calories. In fact, oils and solid fats both contain about 120 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, the amount of oil consumed needs to be limited to balance total calorie intake. The Nutrition Facts label provides information to help you make smart choices.

Table 2. Fatty acid content of different oils, nuts, fruits, seeds and animal products

Oils	MUFA, %	PUFA, %	SFA, %
Olive oil	73	10.5	14
Coconut oil	6	2	86
Soybean oil	23	58	16
Peanut oil	46	32	17
Sesame oil	40	42	14
Sunflower oil (linoleic acid <60%)	45	40	10
High-oleic safflower oil	72	13	7.5
Sunflower oils (linoleic acid >70%)	14	75	6
Walnut oil	23	63	9
Almond oil	70	17	8
Hazelnut oil	78	10	7
Avocado oil	71	13	12
Canola oil	63	28	7
Mustard oil	59	21	12
High oleic sunflower	84	4	10
Hering oil	57	16	21
Fish oil, cold liver	47	23	23
Flaxseed oil, cold press	18	68	9
Corn and canola oil	58	29	8
High oleic sunflower	84	4	10
Hazelnut oil	78	10	7
Olive oil	73	10.5	14
High-oleic safflower oil	72	13	7.5
Avocado oil	71	13	12
Almond oil	70	17	8
Canola oil	63	28	7
Mustard oil	59	21	12
Corn and canola oil	58	29	8
Hering oil	57	16	21
Fish oil, cold liver	47	23	23
Peanut Oil	46	32	17
Sunflower Oil (linoleic acid <60%)	45	40	10
Sesame Oil	40	42	14
Soybean oil	23	58	16
Walnut oil	23	63	9
Flaxseed oil, cold press	18	68	9
Sunflower oils (linoleic acid >70%)	14	75	6
Coconut oil	6	2	86
Nuts and Seeds	MUFA, %	PUFA, %	SFA, %
Macademia	59	12	2
Hazelnut	46	8	4
Pecanut	41	22	6
Almonds	31	11	4
cashew nuts, dry roasted	27	7	9
Pistacchio nuts	24	14	5
Sunflower seed kernels, dried	19	23	4
Sesame, whole, roasted and toasted	18	21	7
Walnuts	15	35	3
Flaxseed	8	29	4
Safflower kernels, dried	5	28	4
Products of Animal Origin	MUFA, %	PUFA, %	SFA, %
Butter, salted	21	3	51
Cheese, cheddar	9	1	21
Pork, ham	8.3	2	6.5
Mackerl	5.4	3.3	3.2
Beef, steak	4.5	0.4	4.3
Egg	3.6	2	3
Salmon	2.1	2.5	0.9
Milk, 3.7% fat	1	0.1	2.2
Chicken	0.9	0.75	0.8

Abbreviations: MUFA = monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acid; SFA = saturated fatty acid

[Source ¹³ ]

Figure 1. Dietary Fats and Mortality Rates

[Source ¹⁴ ]

How are oils different from solid fats?

All fats and oils are a mixture of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Oils come from many different plants and from fish. Oils contain more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like beef fat, butter, and shortening. Solid fats mainly come from animal foods and can also be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats than oils. Saturated fats and trans fats tend to raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease. To lower risk for heart disease, cut back on foods containing saturated fats and trans fats.

Why should I choose healthy fats?

You can protect your heart and blood vessels by choosing fats wisely. Some kinds of fat, such as butter and shortening contain high amount of saturated fat, can raise your cholesterol and your chances of heart disease. Other kinds, like olive oil and nuts, protect your heart.

Saturated fat and trans fat raise your chances of heart disease and stroke. These fats can raise your blood cholesterol and can cause your blood vessels to clog. The blood supply to your heart can get blocked, leading to a heart attack. If the blood supply to your brain gets blocked, you can have a stroke.

Sources of saturated fat

• bacon and bacon grease
• butter
• chitterlings
• chocolate
• coconut, coconut oil, and
• coconut milk
• cream cheese
• cream sauce
• fatback and salt pork
• gravy made with meat drippings
• high-fat dairy products, such as cheese, cream, ice cream, whole milk, 2% milk, and sour cream
• high-fat meats like regular ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, and spareribs
• lard and shortening
• palm oil and palm kernel oil
• poultry skin

Trans fats: Trans fats can also raise your cholesterol level.

Sources of trans fat

• foods with hydrogenated oil
• foods with partially hydrogenated oil
• shortening
• some fast foods such as French fries
• some snacks
• some stick margarines
• some store-bought desserts (cookies, donuts, pies)

Sources of cholesterol

Your body makes some of the cholesterol in your blood. The rest comes from the foods you eat. Foods from animals are the main sources of dietary cholesterol.

Sources of cholesterol

• egg yolks
• high-fat dairy products
• high-fat meat and poultry
• liver and other organ meats

Try these steps to protect your heart and blood vessels:

• Eat less foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. Instead eat foods with healthy fats.
• Cut back on foods that are high in cholesterol. Your body needs cholesterol to make some hormones, vitamins, and to help you digest foods. However, if you
  eat too much cholesterol, it may put you at risk for heart attack or stroke.

All fats are high in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll want to keep your portions small. Take a look at the Nutrition Facts on food packages. You’ll see information about the types and amounts of fat in each food.

Choose fats that can help lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can protect your heart by lowering your cholesterol. Another protective fat, called omega-3 fats, is found in some types of fish, oils, and other foods.

Monounsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fat is a type of unsaturated fat that can lower your blood cholesterol.

Sources of monounsaturated fat

• avocado
• canola oil
• olive oil and olives
• sesame seeds
• nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, and walnuts
• peanut butter and peanut oil

Polyunsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated fat, another type of unsaturated fat, protects your heart.

Sources of polyunsaturated fat

• corn oil
• cottonseed oil
• flaxseeds
• pumpkin seeds
• safflower oil
• salad dressings
• sesame seeds
• soft (tub) margarine
• sunflower oil
• sunflower seeds
• tahini or sesame paste
• walnuts

Omega-3 fats

This type of fat helps prevent clogging of the arteries. Eat fish 2 or 3 times a week. Choose broiling, baking, grilling, or steaming. Or buy tuna packed in water and make tuna fish salad with low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise.

Sources of omega-3 fats

• albacore tuna
• herring
• mackerel
• rainbow trout
• salmon
• sardines
• canola oil
• flaxseeds
• soybean oil
• walnuts

How much is my daily allowance for oils?

Some Americans consume enough oil in the foods they eat, such as:

• nuts
• fish
• cooking oil
• salad dressings

Others could easily consume the recommended daily allowance by substituting oils for some solid fats they eat. A person’s allowance for oils depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Daily allowances for oils are shown in the table below.

Table 3. Oils daily allowance

Daily Allowance
Children	2-3 years old 4-8 years old	3 teaspoons 4 teaspoons
Girls	9-13 years old 14-18 years old	5 teaspoons 5 teaspoons
Boys	9-13 years old 14-18 years old	5 teaspoons 6 teaspoons
Women	19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old	6 teaspoons 5 teaspoons 5 teaspoons
Men	19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old	7 teaspoons 6 teaspoons 6 teaspoons

Cottonseed oil uses

Cottonseed oil has traditionally been used in foods such as potato chips. Significantly less expensive than olive oil or canola oil, cottonseed oil is a popular frying oil for the restaurant and snack-food manufacturing industries.

Cottonseed oil is used in the production of edible food products such as cooking oils, salad oils, margarines and shortenings ¹⁵.

Cottonseed oil nonfood uses

For agricultural applications, cottonseed oil generally has the greatest insecticide power among all the vegetable oils. They are traditionally used because of their effectiveness in “hard to treat” pest problems in fruit trees. Cottonseed oil can also be mixed with other insecticides to provide a broader spectrum and increased control on pests. Spider mites, whiteflies and young stages of scales are common pests that can be controlled using cottonseed oil ¹⁶. In an agricultural context, the toxicity of untreated cottonseed oil may be considered beneficial: Oils, including vegetable oils, have been used for centuries to control insect and mite pests ¹⁶. More recently, cottonseed oil has been used to protect the trunks of apple trees from the apple clearwing moth, which burrows into the trees’ bark, potentially killing them ¹⁷. This oil has been generally considered the most insecticidal of vegetable oils ¹⁶.

Is cottonseed oil healthy?

Previous studies have shown that cottonseed oil-rich diets can improve cholesterol profiles in healthy, young adults ¹⁸, ¹⁹. Studies in rats have indicated that replacement of corn oil with cottonseed oil for four weeks decreased total cholesterol along with HDL “good” cholesterol ²⁰, ²¹. The lipid lowering effects of cottonseed oil are present in spite of its relatively high concentrations of saturated fatty acids compared to corn oil (26% saturated fat in cottonseed oil compared to 13% saturated fat in corn oil) and lower concentrations of monounsaturated fats (20% MUFAs in cottonseed oil compared to 28% MUFAs in corn oil) ¹⁹. Cottonseed oil has a fatty acid profile that is 26% saturated fat, 20% monounsaturated fat (MUFAs), and 55% polyunsaturated fat (PUFAs) ¹⁹. Stearic acid accounts for 3% of the total fatty acid content, palmitic acid 22%, and linoleic acid 54% ²². Another study by Radcliffe and Narins ²³ showed that rats fed cottonseed oil had increased fatty tissue levels of saturated fatty acids. Given that saturated fats are well known to be associated with promoting the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries (a lipid profile with an increase in serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides (TG), and a decrease in high-density level (HDL) cholesterol), these separate findings are somewhat puzzling ²⁴. Radcliffe et al. ²⁰ have hypothesized that the lipid lowering effects of cottonseed oil may be due to the nonsaponifiable portion of cottonseed oil, which contains alpha-tocopherol and beta sitosterol. However, preliminary data from this pilot study ²⁵ indicate that the interaction of lipids in the diet may be more complex than fatty acid profile alone. A one-week cottonseed oil feeding would not have been expected to make any impact on total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) “bad” cholesterol, but in this study, total cholesterol was reduced significantly in female participants ²⁵.

In addition to a high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content, cottonseed oil contains a cyclopropyl fatty acid, dihydrosterulic acid (DHSA), a known inhibitor of the lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) ²⁶. The combination of the dihydrosterulic acid (DHSA)-mediated inhibition of lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) and the regulation of lipogenic and cholesterogenic gene expression by the high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of cottonseed oil make it a potentially ideal nutritional therapeutic to target cardiovascular health.

A 2022 human study have shown that consumption of a diet enriched with cottonseed oil (high in polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA]) for 8 weeks resulted in significant improvements in fasting total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, the total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio, non–HDL cholesterol, and apoB in adults with hypercholesterolemia ²⁷. Cottonseed oil diet enrichment also suppressed after meal nonesterified fatty acid and glucose following diet enriched with cottonseed oil ²⁷. The only changes in the olive oil diet (high in monounsaturated fatty acid [MUFA]) were improvements in fasting HDL “good” cholesterol and the total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio and a worsening of the after meal triglyceride and glucose response to a saturated fatty acid-rich meal. Together, this broadly provides additional evidence on the comparative effects of dietary oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) compared with monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) for blood lipid control, and specific evidence that cottonseed oil has a greater effect than olive oil for blood lipid improvements in an at-risk population ²⁷.

In summary, a cottonseed oil-enriched diet reduced fasting blood lipids, including total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, apoB, after meal nonesterified fatty acids, and glucose, and improved HDL “good” cholesterol in adults with hypercholesterolemia ²⁷. The results of recent study are clinically meaningful, because the magnitude of reduction in LDL “bad” cholesterol by cottonseed oil (12.2%) could correspond to a 14.6% to 21.4% reduction in the coronary artery disease risk. Additionally, the reductions in after meal nonesterified fatty acids and the glucose response provide further protection by cottonseed oil. This study shows that these sources of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have different responses with respect to the blood lipid metabolism and blood sugar control. Furthermore, this study provides evidence that cottonseed oil in particular may be a beneficial oil to incorporate into the diet for adults with hypercholesterolemia ²⁷. In addition to its cholesterol-lowering effects, cottonseed oil is a practical cooking oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point ( good for frying), meaning it is easily incorporated into common foods ²⁷. Future studies are need to investigate the effects of enriching the diet with different high-polyunsaturated fatty acid oils to see whether cottonseed oil is superior to other polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich oils. Future studies should also examine cottonseed oil diet enrichment at lower doses, over different durations, and in various populations. Additional studies should also investigate other markers of cardiovascular disease risk, including inflammation, to fully characterize cottonseed oil’s effects on cardiovascular disease risks.

In addition to eating healthy oils, maintaining five healthy habits such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking during adulthood may add more than a decade to your life expectancy, according to a new study ²⁸. Researchers also found that U.S. women and men who maintained the healthiest lifestyles were 82% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65% less likely to die from cancer when compared with those with the least healthy lifestyles over the course of the roughly 30-year study period. Americans have a shorter average life expectancy—79.3 years—than almost all other high-income countries. The U.S. ranked 31st in the world for life expectancy in 2015.

The researchers looked at how five low-risk lifestyle factors—not smoking, low body mass index (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), at least 30 minutes or more per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, moderate alcohol intake (for example, up to about one 5-ounce glass of wine per day for women, or up to two glasses for men), and a healthy diet—might impact mortality ²⁸.

For study participants who didn’t adopt any of the low-risk lifestyle factors, the researchers estimated that life expectancy at age 50 was 29 years for women and 25.5 years for men. But for those who adopted all five low-risk factors, life expectancy at age 50 was projected to be 43.1 years for women and 37.6 years for men. In other words, women who maintained all five healthy habits gained, on average, 14 years of life, and men who did so gained 12 years, compared with those who didn’t maintain healthy habits.

Compared with those who didn’t follow any of the healthy lifestyle habits, those who followed all five were 74% less likely to die during the study period. The researchers also found that there was a dose-response relationship between each individual healthy lifestyle behavior and a reduced risk of early death, and that the combination of all five healthy behaviors was linked with the most additional years of life.

Cottonseed oil dangers

Cottonseed oil is safe to eat. However, cottonseed meal rich in oil and proteins, a by-product of cotton that is used for animal feeding is toxic because of gossypol toxicity which limits cottonseed use in animal feed. General signs of acute toxicity are similar among animal species and include respiratory distress, impaired body weight gain, anorexia, weakness, apathy, and death after several days ²⁹. Heart failure was reported in calves ³⁰, lambs ³¹, and dogs ³². Gossypol is produced by pigment glands in cotton stems, leaves, seeds, and flower buds. The pigment glands are small black spots distributed throughout the cotton plant but their greatest concentration is in the seeds ³³. In addition to its harmful effects, gossypol and its derivatives have potential therapeutic use. These compounds showed in vitro action against some viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus ³⁴ and H5N1 influenza virus ³⁵ and several bacteria and yeasts ³⁶. Gossypol is a promising treatment for leukemia ³⁷, lymphoma ³⁸, colon carcinoma ³⁹, breast cancer ⁴⁰, myoma ⁴¹, prostate cancer ⁴², and other malignancies ⁴³. Furthermore, it was used in China, in 1970, to treat uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine bleeding in women ⁴¹.

Cottonseed oil allergy

There is only one literature reporting cottonseed oil allergy which dates back to 1949 ⁴⁴.

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2. Economic Research Service; USDA: https://www.ers.usda.gov/[↩]
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