Benefits
Total and LDL cholesterol in human oil trials
In a double-blind trial in 68 adults with high cholesterol, 30 g a day of camelina oil for 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by about 12 percent, a fall similar to rapeseed and olive oil. In adults with impaired fasting glucose, 12 weeks of camelina oil lowered total and LDL cholesterol more than fish-based diets did.
Blood lipid profile pooled across randomized trials
A meta-analysis of seven randomized trials in 428 people reported that camelina oil improved total cholesterol in studies longer than 8 weeks at doses under 30 g a day, with a dose-response pattern for LDL, HDL and total cholesterol but not triglycerides. The authors pointed to about 20 g a day as the point of greatest effect.
A rich plant source of the omega-3 ALA
Camelina oil is a rich plant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant form of omega-3, which makes up a large share of its fatty acids alongside linoleic acid (omega-6) and oleic acid (omega-9). Across trials, daily use reliably raises the proportion of ALA measured in the blood.
Conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA in the body
The body converts only a small share of ALA into EPA, and even less into DHA, the long-chain omega-3s found in fish and algae. For this reason camelina oil raises blood ALA but does little for EPA and DHA, so it is not a substitute for fish or algal oil as a source of these fats.
LDL particles and atherogenic lipid markers
In a controlled trial in people with impaired glucose metabolism, camelina oil lowered the concentration of intermediate-density lipoprotein particles and reduced the binding of LDL-type particles to artery-wall proteoglycans. The effect was explained by its lowering of LDL cholesterol rather than by any separate action on the particles.
Mechanism of action
Replaces saturated fat in the diet
Using camelina oil in place of butter or other fats high in saturated fat lowers saturated fat intake, one accepted way that diet changes blood cholesterol. In the oil-comparison trials, cholesterol fell to a similar degree with camelina, rapeseed and olive oils, which points to the fat swap as a shared driver.
ALA enters the omega-3 pathway
ALA from camelina oil is lengthened and desaturated by the body's enzymes into EPA and, to a much smaller extent, DHA. This conversion is limited in humans, especially for DHA, so most of the ALA is used for energy or stored rather than turned into long-chain omega-3s.
Gamma-tocopherol and oxidative stability
Camelina oil is naturally high in gamma-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E, which helps protect its polyunsaturated fats from going rancid. This antioxidant content is often cited as a reason for its shelf stability; it has not been shown to produce a separate health effect in the human trials.
Clinical trials
Parallel, double-blind randomized trial comparing 30 g a day of camelina oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil for 6 weeks in people with high cholesterol (Karvonen et al. 2002, Metabolism).
68 adults aged 28 to 65 with high cholesterol, assigned to camelina, rapeseed or olive oil.
LDL cholesterol fell by about 12 percent with camelina oil, 5 percent with rapeseed oil and 8 percent with olive oil, a reduction that was similar across the three oils. Camelina oil raised the proportion of ALA and its metabolites EPA and docosapentaenoic acid in blood more than the other oils. There was no placebo arm, so this compares oils against each other, not against no oil.
Randomized controlled trial with four parallel groups (camelina oil, fatty fish, lean fish, control) over 12 weeks (Schwab et al. 2018, Mol Nutr Food Res).
79 adults with impaired fasting glucose, BMI 25 to 36, aged 43 to 72.
The camelina oil group (10 g of ALA a day) had lower total and LDL cholesterol than the fatty fish and lean fish groups, and lower LDL-to-HDL and ApoB-to-ApoA-I ratios than the lean fish group. The proportion of ALA rose in the camelina group while EPA and DHA rose in the fatty fish group. There were no significant changes in blood sugar or markers of low-grade inflammation.
Randomized trial comparing 30 g a day of camelina oil or canola oil for 6 weeks in postmenopausal women with a disordered blood lipid profile (Dobrzynska et al. 2021, Arch Med Sci).
60 postmenopausal women with dyslipidemia.
LDL cholesterol fell in both groups, by about 15 mg/dL with camelina oil and 11 mg/dL with canola oil, and waist circumference fell by roughly 1 cm in each; the waist-to-hip ratio fell significantly only with camelina oil. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly in either group. Both oils lowered saturated fat intake. There was no placebo group.
Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of seven randomized placebo-controlled trials of camelina oil on lipid and glycemic markers (Jalili et al. 2022, Lipids Health Dis).
428 adults across seven randomized trials.
Pooled analysis found camelina oil improved total cholesterol in trials longer than 8 weeks and at doses under 30 g a day, with nonlinear dose-response relationships for LDL, HDL and total cholesterol but not triglycerides; the modelled effect was greatest near 20 g a day. The included trials were small, and the authors called for longer trials.
Randomized controlled trial of camelina oil, fatty fish, lean fish or control over 12 weeks, with laboratory tests of lipoprotein function (Manninen et al. 2019, Atherosclerosis).
88 volunteers with impaired glucose metabolism; 79 completed.
Camelina oil (10 g of ALA a day) reduced the binding of lipoprotein particles to artery-wall proteoglycans, but this was explained by the fall in LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B and was no longer significant after adjusting for them. Other measured LDL and HDL functions did not change in any group. The authors concluded that lower circulating LDL cholesterol was the main effect.
Randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial of crackers enriched with camelina oil, eaten twice daily for 12 weeks (De Giuseppe et al. 2023, J Nutr Health Aging).
66 free-living older adults aged 65 and over.
Blood ALA rose significantly with the camelina oil crackers compared with placebo. Total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides fell more in the camelina group, but the differences were not statistically significant, and inflammatory markers did not improve. Being a small pilot, the trial was not powered to confirm changes in the lipid profile.