The majority of vegetable oils used in food preparation in Myanmar are imported and sold non-branded. Little is known about their fatty acid (FA) content. We aimed to investigate the FA composition of commonly used vegetable oils in the Yangon region, and the association between the use of palm oil vs. peanut oil and risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCD). A multistage cluster survey was conducted in 2016, and 128 oil samples from 114 households were collected. Data on NCD risk factors were obtained from a household-based survey in the same region, between 2013 and 2014. The oils most commonly sampled were non-branded peanut oil (43%) and non-branded palm oil (19%). Non-branded palm oil had a significantly higher content of saturated fatty acids (36.1 g/100 g) and a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (9.3 g/100 g) than branded palm oil. No significant differences were observed regarding peanut oil. Among men, palm oil users had significantly lower mean fasting plasma glucose levels and mean BMI than peanut oil users. Among women, palm oil users had significantly higher mean diastolic blood pressure, and higher mean levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, than peanut oil users. Regulation of the marketing of non-branded oils should be encouraged.
Keywords: Myanmar; non-communicable diseases; palm oil; peanut oil; vegetable oils.