This project was to compare the effects of consuming diets incorporating soybean oil , canola oil, ad palm oil on blood serum lipid patterns and fecal fat excretion in healthy human adults. The project was composed of three studies that were run concurrently . Each study was composed of a 4-day pre-trial period and two , 14-day experimental periods arranged according to a cross-over design. During the pre trial period, subjects were allowed to eat self-selected diets. During the experimental period , subjects were asked to eat constant, laboratory controlled diets in which sources of dietary fat varied . Thirty healthy , young adult subjects were fed a laboratory controlled diet incorporating soybean oil, canola oil, and palm oil. Test oils provided approximately 20% of the total dietary calories form all sources. Total dietary fat from all sources was approximately 30% of consumed calories. The highest serum total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol , and triglyceride values occurred when pam oil diets were eaten. However, feeding on palm oil diets resulted in the same HDL cholesterol content as with soybean oil or canola oil diets. Soybean oil diets produced numerically lower blood serum total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, and numerically higher HDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol than did those with canola oil. Fecal fat excretion was numerically lower with soybean oil diets than with canola diets. The highest fecal fat excretion occurred when palm oil diets were eaten.