Virgin soybean oil is rich in essential fatty acids, particularly α-linolenic acid (a precursor of the higher fatty acids found in nerve cells and the brain), which gives it softening and skin-protecting properties.

These fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized by humans, must be supplied regularly through the diet.
Soybean oil also helps combat eczema.

It also contains a high concentration of lecithins (phosphatide = phospho-amino-lipid complex), which act as emulsifiers (during digestion) and help transport cholesterol esters, bile salts and lipoproteins, as well as vitamin E, reinforced by the antioxidant action of lecithins.

Virgin soybean oil is therefore recommended for diets with a controlled fat intake (to prevent bad cholesterol and cardiovascular disease).