** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** COTTONSEED OIL (CSO) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE BLOOD LIPIDS IN HEALTHY AND AT-RISK ADULTS. CSO IS A RICH SOURCE OF POLY-UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFAS). THESE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON LIPID METABOLISM MAY BE DUE TO THE GENERAL FATTY ACID (FA) COMPOSITION OF CSO; HOWEVER, OUR EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT A FA UNIQUE TO CSO, DIHYDROSTERCULIC ACID (DHSA), MAY BE RESPONSIBLE. IT IS UNKNOWN IN HUMANS WHETHER A FA-MATCHED DIET TO THAT OF CSO WOULD YIELD SIMILAR EFFECTS ON LIPID METABOLISM. THIS WOULD ELUCIDATE WHETHER IT IS THE FA COMPOSITION IN GENERAL, OR WHETHER CSO (AND DHSA) IS REQUIRED TO OBSERVE IMPROVEMENTS IN LIPID METABOLISM. OUR STUDY GOAL IS TO COMPARE CSO TO A FA COMPOSITION-MATCHED DIET (PUFA) ON CHANGES IN FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL LIPID METABOLISM AND CHRONIC DISEASE RISK FACTORS. AIMS: (1) EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF CSO VS. PUFA ON FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL LIPIDS, AND (2) EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF CSO VS. PUFA ON OTHER MARKERS OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISK (MARKERS OF GLYCEMIA, INFLAMMATION, AND LIPID PEROXIDATION).WE WILL EMPLOY A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WITH THREE ARMS: A CSO-ENRICHED DIET (CSO) GROUP, A MIXED OIL DIET MATCHING THE FA COMPOSITION OF CSO (PUFA) GROUP, AND A CONTROL. THE PROTOCOL INCLUDES SIX STUDY VISITS AND A 28-DAY PARTIAL OUTPATIENT FEEDING PROTOCOL. IF OUR HYPOTHESES ARE CORRECT, THIS STUDY COULD HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE COTTON INDUSTRY BY DEMONSTRATING THE SUPERIOR HEALTH BENEFITS OF CSO CONSUMPTION.